


Two Can Play This Game

by ashbash13



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Criminal Nicole Haught, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Federal Agent Waverly Earp, Plot Twists, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:24:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 47,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashbash13/pseuds/ashbash13
Summary: Waverly Earp is 26, an up-and-coming FBI Agent stationed in her home town of New York City. She and her partner, Xavier Dolls, are determined to bring down the largest gang in the city, the Revenants that are led by the notorious Bobo Del Ray. (Note: The Revenants is the name of the gang, they are not supernatural beings in this story.)When Waverly encounters Bobo's enforcer and right hand woman, 28-year-old Nicole Haught, her investigation takes an unexpected turn. Determined to recruit Nicole to help build a case against Bobo, Waverly puts herself into some dangerous situations to try to earn the woman's trust, or force her to turn on her boss.The dangerous game that ensues between the two women will endanger both of their lives, and perhaps change them for the better, if they can only get out alive.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Intro to Waverly and Nicole's characters. Let the games begin!
> 
> Thank you all so much for diving into a new journey with me and the fabulous Wayhaught! Chapters will get longer as we go. Hold onto your stetsons!

Waverly Earp sat in her dark sedan, camera trained on a group of people in the alley across the street from where she was parked. She snapped photos as fast as she could, watching drugs and money change hands in a matter of seconds. 

“Gotcha,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ve got it Dolls, send them in.” 

“Copy that,” Waverly’s longtime partner Xavier Dolls’ voice echoed in her earpiece. 

Waverly watched as three unmarked vehicles sped around the corner, screeching to a halt at the entrance to the alley, agents spilling from the vehicles immediately and heading towards the group Waverly had been watching with guns drawn. She watched the drug dealers and their buyers lie on the ground one by one, arms spread wide as they awaited handcuffs from one of Waverly’s colleagues. She smiled and stowed the camera in the bag on her passenger seat before putting the car in drive. Her job here was done. 

….

The phone vibrated in her back pocket, and Nicole reached for it with a sigh. She read the message on the screen and cursed under her breath. 

“Haught!” A male voice sounded over the low mumblings of the TV in the other room. 

She rolled her eyes, grabbing her drink off the counter as she walked to the living room, which was in a greater state of disarray than usual she noticed, papers scattered haphazardly over the coffee table and couch cushions on either side of Bobo del Ray. 

“You rang?” she quipped, leaning against the doorway and eyeing her boss over her glass of whiskey. 

“What’s the word on Jerry?” Bobo asked, not looking up from the papers surrounding him. 

“Doc just sent word,” she said. “Jerry and Dean got busted, picked up by the Feds thirty minutes ago.” She flinched slightly when Bobo threw his glass across the room, shattering into hundreds of pieces as it collided with the wall Nicole was leaning against. 

She should have expected as much given Bobo’s temper of late. Their people were getting pinched left and right now that the FBI had taken a greater interest in the Revenants’ gang. 

Bobo looked thoughtful for a few moments, leaning back into the couch and stroking his white-streaked beard with one hand. Nicole knew that look, and she steeled herself for what he would ask of her, his enforcer. 

“I need you to send these narcs a message, Haught. I need them off our backs before there aren’t enough of us left to stay in business. You got me?” He peered at her with almost black eyes, and Nicole nodded once, finishing off the rest of her drink. 

She grabbed her gun from the table beside the couch and tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, slamming the empty glass down in its place. 

“Consider it done,” she said, opening the door and disappearing into the night.


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole meet for the first time. It's not a great first impression.

Waverly jolted awake at the sound of her phone ringing on the nightstand. The clock read 5:37am as she grabbed her cell and answered with a grumbled “Earp”. 

She sat up in bed as she listened. “I’ll be there in 20,” she said, hanging up and throwing the covers off of her lap. 

Waverly moved quickly through her apartment, slipping on a pair of black slacks and high-heeled boots before tucking in a white button down shirt. She unlocked the small safe in her closet, removing her badge and Bureau credentials, clipping the former to the front of her waistband and tucking the latter into her back pocket. She removed her sidearm from the nightstand by her bed and clipped it to her belt at her hip, sliding her arms into a blazer and grabbing her keys before heading out the door. 

15 minutes later, Waverly pulled into New York General Hospital and parked in a spot near the front doors. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor that housed the Intensive Care Unit, a place she had unfortunately been many times in her life, both for her own injuries and those of various coworkers, trial witnesses and a few informants. This time, she was here to see one of the latter. 

She spotted Dolls in a chair in the hallway as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. 

“What’ve we got?” she asked, knowing it must not be good for Dolls to have called her in this early in the morning. 

“It’s Sara Daniels,” Dolls said, standing as Waverly approached him. “There was an anonymous phone call to 911, and when they arrived at the house they found her like this.” 

Waverly looked past him through the windows leading into Sara’s room, her fists clenching by her sides as she took in the young woman’s condition. 

Sara Daniels was the latest informant the FBI had used to get information concerning the gang that called themselves the Revenants. Sara was dating one of the members, a low-level dealer named Jerry Finch who had been arrested last night thanks to the information Sara had given them about a scheduled drug deal. And this was her repayment…

“How bad is it?” she asked Dolls, her voice quiet as rage seethed inside her. 

“She’ll be ok,” he reassured her. “Broken nose, cracked rib, and some defensive wounds on her forearms and hands, but the doctor told me she’ll have a relatively easy recovery.” 

Waverly laughed humorlessly. “Easy recovery, after taking a beating from Bobo Del Ray’s thugs for helping us? Recovery isn’t just physical, Dolls.” 

Dolls stayed quiet, watching Waverly take in the sleeping woman for a moment before suddenly springing to action. 

“Fuck this,” Waverly said. “I’m going to see him. Enough is enough.” She turned on her heel and headed back towards the elevator, leaving a startled Dolls in her wake. 

“Earp, wait! You can’t just waltz into Del Ray’s bar and expect a warm welcome,” he called after her. 

She pushed the button to call the elevator and turned back to her partner. “What are they gonna do, kill me in broad daylight in the middle of a public establishment? I’ll be fine Dolls, I’m just going to pay Del Ray a visit and let him know we won’t stand for any more of this bullshit.” 

The elevator dinged, and Waverly stepped inside. 

….

A cold draft of fall air blew threw the mostly empty bar as the door opened, pulling Nicole’s attention away from the stack of pancakes she was eating. Thank god for Shorty and his willingness to make her favorite breakfast food at any hour of the day, even if it wasn’t on the typical menu consisting of burgers and wings. Nicole’s eyebrows shot to her hairline when she saw who had walked in. “Shit,” she muttered, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she watched the woman approach the bar. 

“I’m looking for Bobo Del Ray,” the woman said, hands on her hips in a show of defiance as she addressed the bartender. 

Nicole smiled at her brazenness. She knew Tony wouldn’t tell the woman anything other than to fuck off, no matter how pretty she was. The few times Nicole had seen her giving press briefings on TV certainly hadn’t done her justice. 

“Fuck you,” Tony said, turning his back to the woman and continuing to wipe down the glass he was cleaning. 

Nicole snickered. Predictable. 

Her laugh drew the attention of the brunette. “Something funny?” she asked, taking a few steps towards Nicole, hands still on her hips. 

Nicole shook her head as she picked up her fork again, returning her attention to her breakfast. “No ma’am,” she said. 

“And who are you?” the woman asked, opening her blazer with one hand to show Nicole the badge at her waist. 

“Nicole Haught,” she answered around a mouthful of pancakes. “And you’re Waverly Earp, FBI.” Nicole swallowed and took a sip of coffee, noticing the other woman’s surprise at being recognized. 

“Yes, I am,” Waverly answered. “And how do you know that?” she looked genuinely curious. 

“I make it my business to know everyone in the city, Miss Earp.” She paused. “Especially those who make it their business to meddle in mine.” Nicole looked calmly at the woman in front of her, turning on her stool to rest her back against the bar. 

She watched Waverly give her a once-over, no doubt trying to determine if Nicole was armed. 

“And how exactly have I meddled in your business, Ms. Haught?” she asked. Nicole saw the light of realization spark in Waverly’s eyes before she had to answer. “You work for him,” Waverly stated, seeming surprised. 

“If by ‘him’ you mean Bobo, then yes, I do,” Nicole said. 

“In what capacity?” the agent asked. 

Nicole just smiled, crossing her arms over her chest as she considered the woman before her. “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she finally said. She knew the second that Waverly noticed the bruising and ugly red scrapes on her knuckles, her back suddenly stiffening and a firm set to her jaw, eyes now narrowed at her. 

“You’re the one who put Sara in the hospital,” Waverly spoke, and there was no question in her tone. 

Nicole could see the woman’s barely contained fury, and she wondered if she would burst with it or manage to hold herself in check. 

“I’m sure I don’t know who or what you’re talking about, Miss Earp,” Nicole replied smoothly. 

“I swear to god if you-“ Waverly was cut off by the shrill ringing of her phone. She glanced at the screen and put the phone to her ear, turning her back to Nicole and taking a few steps away. 

Nicole heard her murmur something into the phone before ending the call and leveling fierce hazel eyes back at her. 

“Don’t think that I won’t be back here,” Waverly said. “You better keep one eye over your shoulder, Haught, because I’ll be watching, waiting for you to make a mistake.” 

Nicole laughed as Waverly turned and walked quickly towards the door. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon then,” she called after her. 

Tony shook his head as Nicole turned around in her seat and caught his eye. She leaned both elbows on the bar as she sipped her now cold coffee thoughtfully. She had met the famous Agent Waverly Earp face to face, and there was only one word for their exchange. “Interesting,” she said to herself, smiling as she tucked back into her half-eaten pancakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments always welcome!


	3. Stalking Over Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly is keeping tabs on Nicole, and Nicole is onto her

“Tell me everything we know about Nicole Haught,” Waverly said, feet crossed on top of the small conference room table at the Bureau as she leaned back in her chair. 

“Truthfully, not much,” Dolls answered, flipping through a tan file on the table. “She’s definitely linked to Bobo’s gang, but we don’t really know what she does for him, other than the fact that she’s definitely not dating him.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” Waverly said, reaching for the file and pulling it close enough to read. She removed a photograph that showed Nicole Haught in profile walking down a sidewalk somewhere in the city. “She was at Shorty’s the other day when I stopped by, and her knuckles were torn up as though she had used them on someone very recently.” 

Dolls snorted. “You think Del Ray is sending a woman to scare informants on his behalf?” he sounded disbelieving, but Waverly knew what she had seen. 

“Not just any woman,” Waverly responded, turning the photo around in her fingers so Dolls could see it. “This woman. I’m sure of it, Dolls. We need to keep tabs on her, have someone on her at all times, she could be the key to getting Bobo.” 

Waverly was serious, and Dolls knew she wouldn’t be dissuaded once she got a target set in her mind. 

Dolls sighed. “You know how tight the budget is right now, Earp. There’s no way you’ll get approval to have 24/7 surveillance on Haught. We need more to go on.” 

Waverly drummed her fingers on the table while she thought. Dolls was right, she definitely wouldn’t get approval without a lot more evidence on Haught, even if they weren’t low on funding at the moment. There was only one option. 

“I’ll do it myself then, I can keep tabs on her when I’m off shift, just until I can get some solid evidence against her that will get me the backing I need from the higher-ups.” Waverly stood up from her chair and threw her bag over her shoulder. 

“Where are you going?” Dolls asked. 

“No time like the present!” she called over her shoulder as she pushed through the door and headed towards the exit. 

….

Nicole walked down the sidewalk briskly, hands tucked into the pockets of her leather jacket as the brisk morning air stung her cheeks. She pulled out her phone to check the text message she had just received from Bobo, wanting her to meet him at the house in an hour. Plenty of time for coffee first, she thought. 

As she locked the phone’s screen, she noticed a familiar figure behind her in its reflection, about 10 yards back on the sidewalk. She smiled to herself and shook her head as she tucked the phone away, reaching for the door of her favorite coffee spot and heading inside. 

She placed her order and waited towards the back of the shop, keeping an eye on the brunette agent who was leaning against the building with her back to the shop, no doubt waiting for Nicole to emerge. When her name was called, Nicole picked up her order and headed outside, walking straight towards the woman who had been shadowing her all morning. 

“I took a guess and went with a soy latte, dash of cinnamon,” Nicole said, startling the woman into turning to face her. The look Waverly Earp gave her was priceless as her gaze flashed between Nicole’s face and the outstretched coffee in her hand. 

Waverly eyed the cup with suspicion, and Nicole rolled her eyes. She took a sip of the drink and swallowed, raising an eyebrow as she held the cup out again. “Disgusting, but not poisoned,” Nicole said, as Waverly reluctantly took the paper cup from her hand. “The fact that you think I would poison a federal agent on a crowded street in broad daylight like some kind of imbecile is slightly insulting,” Nicole said, sipping her cappuccino and turning to walk away from the agent in question. 

“Wait!” Waverly called after her, jogging a few steps until she was by Nicole’s side. 

Nicole stopped and faced her. “No offense, Miss Earp, but I can’t really be seen walking around the city with you like we’re old gal pals gossiping about our crushes. I figured if you’re going to follow me, you might as well be warm, but that doesn’t mean I was inviting you for a Sunday stroll.” Nicole turned away again and walked towards the nearest subway stop, hearing a muttered “asshole” from behind her. 

She had no doubt she would be able to give Waverly the slip once inside the station. Bobo would be less than thrilled if the FBI knew where he was hiding out these days, so she would be sure she was alone before meeting him at his house on the outskirts of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! We're just getting started with these two :)


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly has a hunch about Nicole and confronts her at her home.

Waverly scanned the subway station, looking for a glimpse of red hair that would give Haught’s position away. The woman was nowhere to be seen, she had disappeared as suddenly as an apparition. 

“Dammit,” Waverly muttered. She pulled out her phone and dialed Dolls, who answered on the second ring. 

“Dolls, it’s me. Any word on Sara Daniels? I’d like to go speak to her if she’s awake.” Waverly listened to his response as she climbed the stairs leading out of the subway station. “Great, meet me at the hospital in 10.” 

….

When they arrived at NY General, Waverly and Dolls were told Sara had been moved to the second floor where she was conscious and in recovery. Waverly knocked twice before entering Sara’s room with Dolls on her heels. 

Sara looked up from a magazine, dark bruises under each eye and thick white gauze over the bridge of her nose. She looked banged up, but much better than the first day Waverly had seen her after the beating. 

“Sara,” Waverly said, approaching the bed to shake her hand gently, careful to avoid the IV taped to the top. “I’m Agent Earp, and this is Agent Dolls with the FBI. Do you feel up to speaking to us for a few minutes?” 

Sara placed the magazine on the bedside table and looked at Waverly warily. “I think the reason I’m in here is because I talked to you people, so forgive me if I’m not too enthusiastic about doing so a second time,” Sara said. 

Waverly shot a glance at Dolls before continuing. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry we are that you’re here, Sara. And I won’t lie to you and tell you it’s for any reason other than the fact that you gave us information about your boyfriend, Jerry.” Waverly paused, and Sara nodded for her to continue. 

“I wanted to ask if you saw who attacked you a few nights ago, if you have any information that could help us pinpoint who in Bobo’s crew did this to you?” Waverly asked. 

Sara’s eyes flashed with fear, and Waverly sat at the edge of her bed to grip her hand. 

“I promise you that you will be protected, Sara, so anything you can remember that can help us will be kept between us until we have enough evidence to make an arrest,” Waverly said, giving her hand a small squeeze. 

Sara nodded and spoke quietly, seemingly lost in her memories from the night in question. “He was tall, athletic, and he wore all black with a black mask, so I couldn’t see his face.” 

Wavelry nodded. “Are you sure it was a man?” she asked. 

Sara looked puzzled by the question. “I guess I can’t say for certain, but it felt like a man when he hit me.”

“Ok, Sara, anything else? Any distinguishing features you noticed about the attacker? Skin color, eye color, any smells?” Waverly prodded. She needed more to go on to confirm her suspicions about Haught. 

Sara looked thoughtful for a moment. “He was white,” Sara said, “that’s all I could tell with the mask.” 

Waverly was disappointed she didn’t have more to go on, but she knew Sara didn’t have any more information to share. She stood from the bed and walked towards the door, Dolls stepping into the hall in front of her. 

“Agent Earp,” Sara spoke so quietly, Waverly had to walk back towards the bed to hear her. “Brown eyes. I remember his eyes,” she said. 

“Thank you, Sara,” Waverly said. “We’ll have agents escort you home upon your release, and if you think of anything else please don’t hesitate to call me.” 

Waverly exited into the hall as her mind replayed the two conversations she had had with Nicole Haught. She had been wearing sunglasses in their last encounter outside the coffee shop, but Waverly was almost certain that she remembered light brown eyes looking back at her when they had met at Shorty’s bar. 

Only one way to know for sure.

….

Nicole looked up from her book at the sound of two sharp knocks on her door. She glanced at her watch, not expecting Shae this early. 

She stood from the couch and padded to the door, tucking a small revolver into the waistband at her back as she looked through the peephole. What the hell? she thought. 

She opened the door to reveal Agent Waverly Earp on her doorstep, hands shoved deep into the pockets of the long black coat she was wearing, badge hanging from a chain around her neck. She was trying to make her position obvious to anyone who may see her here. Damn her. 

“Miss Earp, how can I help you?” Nicole glanced down the hall, checking to see if anyone was around to notice the agent’s presence.

“Yeah, I just had one question,” Waverly said, a fiery glint to her eyes as she stared Nicole down. 

Nicole crossed her arms and waited. 

“Did you put Sara Daniels in the hospital because you knew she gave us information about Jerry Finch?” Waverly’s gaze was unwavering, and Nicole met her eyes with a steely look of her own. 

“I told you before, I don’t know who that is or what you’re talking about,” Nicole said, voice hard. “And if I see you at my apartment again, Miss Earp, I’ll be forced to report you for harassment.” 

Nicole shut the door in her face, taking a deep breath and leaning her forehead against the closed door. Earp was going to be a problem, one she needed to solve quickly before Bobo took notice. 

….

Waverly sat in her unmarked car and watched the entrance to Nicole’s apartment building. Nicole’s window faced the street, and although the blinds were drawn, she could tell that the light was still on inside. 

About an hour went by before someone approached the building, a tall, dark skinned woman dressed as though she had just left a business meeting. She rang the buzzer, and Waverly watched a shadow pass Nicole’s window before the woman pulled the front door of the building open. Waverly had simply followed another resident inside, but to each their own she supposed. 

Two minutes later Nicole’s shadow crossed the window again, and this time she was followed by a second figure as she crossed the room. “Ok, so who are you?” Waverly said to herself, wondering who this visitor could be to Nicole Haught.

She continued to watch for any further signs of movement, but the lights inside the apartment suddenly went out. Waverly raised her brows at the implications of what she had seen. Interesting, she thought. 

She stayed for another hour, seeing no signs of stirring from within, before putting her car in drive and pulling away from the curb. She drove in silence, her mind circling around red hair and light brown eyes, eyes that may very well belong to Sara Daniels’ attacker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hit me up in the comments! <3


	5. Close Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly puts herself and Nicole in a dangerous situation at Shorty's, and Nicole thinks fast to get them out of it.

It had taken Waverly two weeks to finally follow Nicole to her home address, but now that she had it, it was much easier to keep an eye on her. She spent all of her time away from the Bureau following the redhead, taking notes on where she went, who she visited, what time she slept. Waverly knew she was bordering on obsessive, but she needed Haught to get them a much needed break in their case. 

As luck would have it, Waverly was watching Nicole one night when she finally had a chance to catch her in a crime. Nicole had left Shorty’s around 10:45pm, carrying a duffel bag over one shoulder and walking a few blocks before turning sharply into a dim alley. Waverly followed on foot as Nicole exited the alley and turned left, crossing the street to speak to a man who was sitting on the steps of a brownstone. Waverly watched from the corner of the alley as Nicole took something wrapped in foil from the bag and handed it to the man. He gave her a one-armed hug before walking briskly down the street. 

“FBI, freeze!” Waverly drew her sidearm as she shouted at the pair across the street, the man instantly taking off in a sprint. She crossed the street towards Nicole, who stood unmoving on the other side. 

“Keep your hands where I can see them, Haught,” she said, keeping her gun trained on the taller woman as she approached. 

Nicole held her hands up near her shoulders, empty palms facing Waverly, duffel bag still slung over one shoulder. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Earp?” Nicole hissed, her brown eyes almost black in the dim light of the streetlamp overhead. 

“Shut up,” Waverly commanded. “Put the bag on the ground and step back.” 

Nicole glared at her as she did what she was told, stepping back as Waverly holstered her weapon and approached the bag on the ground. She unzipped the bag and began pulling items out, placing them on the sidewalk as she went. Pair of jeans, blue button down shirt, black leather booties, purple silk bra. Oh shit, Waverly thought. 

She glanced up at Nicole, who was now leaning against the railing of the steps with her arms folded across her chest. “Find what you’re looking for Agent Earp?” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. 

Waverly stood and regarded the woman in front of her, trying to salvage the mess of a situation she now found herself in. “What did you give that guy?” she asked. “Why did he take off running if you two aren’t guilty of something?” 

Nicole laughed. “Seriously Earp? Maybe he took off running because a crazy woman pulled a gun on him without cause.” 

Waverly felt a blush heat her cheeks, praying the darkness would keep Nicole from seeing it. 

“So what did you give him then?” she repeated the question. 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I gave him a piece of cake I had made the other night. It’s his kid’s birthday.” 

Waverly stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter at the idea of a drug dealer’s henchman handing out birthday cake on street corners at 11:00 at night. 

Nicole looked unamused. “Are we done here?” she asked, bending down to stuff her clothes back in the bag before slinging it across her shoulder once more. 

Waverly finally took stock of what Nicole was wearing. Black leggings, gray t-shirt with sweat stains around the collar, tattered Oklahoma hoodie and well-worn sneakers. She had clearly just come from the gym. Shit, Waverly thought. 

Still, she couldn’t waste an opportunity to try and get something useful out of this situation. “Listen, Haught, why don’t you come talk to me about your boss? You know we’re going to bust him sooner or later, and if you help us do that, we can make sure you get charged with minor offenses compared to what the rest of the Revenants will be charged with.” 

Nicole took a step towards her, her long stride bringing the taller woman so close that Waverly had to look up to meet her eyes. She bent her head as if to whisper a secret, and Waverly held her breath in anticipation. 

“Fuck you,” Nicole breathed in her ear, before stepping back and walking away from Waverly in the direction of her apartment. 

Waverly released the breath she’d been holding, rubbing a hand over the goosebumps that had spread over her neck and watching Nicole’s retreating form until she could no longer see her. 

….

It had been a week since Nicole’s run-in with the FBI agent who was making her life a living hell. She hoped their last encounter where the idiot had drawn a gun on her for no reason had been enough to keep Waverly off her back for a while, knowing how badly she had fucked up that situation. 

It had been a long couple of weeks, and Nicole was ready to relax and drown her anxiety in alcohol as she hadn’t allowed herself to do in ages. She was at Shorty’s, and the bar was packed with the usual smattering of Revenant members as well as 50 or so locals who were out to have a good time on a Friday night. Bobo had even come out tonight, and Nicole eyed him in his usual corner booth near the back, surrounded on each side by various women who were attracted to his bad attitude and sinister reputation. Nicole rolled her eyes and knocked back another shot. 

She turned on her barstool and surveyed the crowd, taking a mental note of everyone present and any unfamiliar faces. Her head whipped back to the closing door as she caught a glimpse of long brown hair and a cheetah print crop top before the woman disappeared into the sea of bodies crowding the dance floor. 

No fucking way, she thought. Nicole stood from her stool and made her way to one side of the bar, pacing the exterior of the crowd slowly as she scanned the room for the woman she sought. She had to walk by Bobo’s booth to continue her search, and as she walked past she felt cold fingers grip her wrist and pull her up short. 

Bobo pulled her closer to the table so Nicole had to lean over it on her other hand as he addressed her in a low voice. “Who’s the stranger who just walked in?” he asked, “The short brunette who looks like either a cop or a preschool teacher.” Nicole saw Bobo’s eyes find the woman he was speaking of, so she knew Waverly must be somewhere over her right shoulder, towards the restrooms. 

“She’s my date,” Nicole lied easily, pulling her wrist out of Bobo’s grasp and straightening up. “I was just going over to say hello. Do you need something before I do?” she asked, hoping she was keeping the tension out of her voice. 

Bobo sat back and laughed. “Good for you, Haught, she’s a looker,” he said, throwing an arm over the shoulder of the woman closest to him. “Don’t have too much fun.” He winked at her, and Nicole turned her back to the table, scanning the crowd and finally spotting Waverly near the hallway that led to the restroom, just as she suspected. 

She skirted the crowd and wove through bodies as best she could, keeping her eyes on Waverly so she didn’t lose sight of the woman. Nicole saw the look of recognition when Waverly finally spotted her, and then the smug smirk the woman gave her, no doubt planning some idiotic quip about just dropping in to see what Nicole and her gang were up to. 

She’s going to get us both killed, Nicole thought, just a few feet away from Waverly now. She thought fast, needing to make sure Bobo didn’t suspect that an FBI agent was currently in his bar, and all because of her. She gritted her teeth and took the final few steps into Waverly’s space, watching the brunette’s eyes widen when Nicole didn’t stop moving towards her. 

Nicole placed a hand behind Waverly’s neck and bent her head to kiss her lips, placing her other hand on the smaller woman’s hip and pulling her body flush against hers. Waverly went rigid, as expected, and Nicole moved her mouth to her neck, just below her ear. She placed a kiss there before whispering in Waverly’s ear, “Bathroom, now.” 

Nicole stepped back, grabbing Waverly’s hand and tugging her down the hall towards one of the bar’s single-occupancy restrooms. She pushed open the door and shoved Waverly in before following and locking the door behind them. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Waverly’s eyes flashed as she faced Nicole. 

“What do I think I’m doing?” Nicole’s voice was eerily calm, although her heartbeat was hammering in her chest. “Do you realize you could get us both killed if you keep this shit up? What do you think Bobo will do to you if he realizes you’re a fucking Fed? What do you think he’ll do to me if he thinks I’m associated with you in some way? Do you have any sense in that beautiful head of yours? Jesus Christ, Earp, this isn’t a fucking game!” Nicole couldn’t help but shout the last part, and Waverly flinched slightly. 

Waverly swallowed and seemed to consider her words. “Why did you just kiss me in front of him if you’re so worried about him seeing us together?” she asked. 

“He spotted you the second you walked in, but he doesn’t know who you are. I told him you were my date, so I had to play the part for him to buy it.” Nicole ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry, by the way,” she said, leaning back against the bathroom’s small vanity. 

“It’s fine, you were fine,” Waverly said, a tinge of red spreading across her cheeks as she looked at the floor. “I suppose I should thank you, I really didn’t think Bobo would connect me to the Bureau, but I also didn’t intend to put you in danger. That’s not what I’m trying to do,” Waverly finished, meeting Nicole’s eyes. 

“Then what exactly are you trying to do? Because I’ve had about enough of you following me around night and day, and like I said, you’re going to get one of us killed if you keep it up.” 

“Then help me,” Waverly said, her tone turning pleading. “I don’t know what perks you’re getting from working for that douchebag, but I promise you we can get you off basically free and clear if you help us bring Del Ray down.” 

Nicole sighed, and a look of resolve settled over her face. “You don’t seem to be hearing me, so let me make this crystal clear for you, Earp. Bobo Del Ray is not going to be brought down by some inexperienced field agent who has grandiose ideas about getting all the bad guys off the streets of New York. And I,” Nicole paused, taking in the brunette’s narrowed eyes and stiffly crossed arms, “am not going to get myself caught up in whatever mess you’re bound to create with your overzealous ideals. I’m loyal to Bobo, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.” 

Waverly seemed to consider her for a moment. “So what, are you in love with him or something?” she asked. 

The laugh Nicole let burst from her lips made Waverly flinch in surprise. There was a pounding on the bathroom door, and Nicole realized a line had probably formed outside by now. With a quick glance at Waverly, she opened the door and grabbed the brunette’s hand, pulling her from the room and past the line of impatient but smirking women in the hall. Nicole weaved her way through dancing bodies and out the front door of the bar, releasing Waverly’s hand once they were surrounded by nothing but cool air and dim streetlights. 

“Now he thinks we left together, so you should be ok to go home,” Nicole said. She turned towards her own apartment, leaving Waverly standings on the sidewalk outside of the bar. 

“Wait!” she called, causing Nicole to turn back to face her. “You didn’t answer my question.” 

Nicole tucked her hands into her pockets and took slow steps backwards, keeping her eyes on Waverly’s. “I think you’ve stalked me enough to know that he isn’t really my type,” she said, and with a wink, Nicole turned around and vanished around the next street corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, will update with at least one more chapter later tonight :) <3


	6. Interrogations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole faces two interrogations, one much more dangerous than the other.

Waverly had a problem. And that problem looked a lot like a tall redhead with warm brown eyes and surprisingly soft lips. She tapped the pen on her desk, staring at the computer screen in front of her and replaying the night at Shorty’s over in her mind. There was something about Nicole Haught that didn’t quite sit right with her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what that might be. 

The phone on her desk rang, and Waverly reached to answer it. “Agent Earp.” She listened for a few moments before nodding. “Fantastic, when do we leave?...Ok I’ll be there.” Waverly hung up the phone and slapped a hand on her desk in excitement. Dean Harrison, one of the Revenant perps who had been arrested in the drug deal she busted a few weeks ago, had finally decided to make a deal to earn his release. According to Dolls, the man had shared details of a large drug shipment coming into the harbor tonight, so this was the FBIs chance to potentially bring down more of the Revenant’s members while simultaneously putting a large dent in their profits. Waverly couldn’t have been more ready. 

….

Nicole was nervous, in spite of herself. She normally had no hand in the actual smuggling operations of Bobo’s business, but tonight he had insisted that he wanted his right hand on the scene to prevent any issues. Nicole pulled her jacket tighter around her body, awaiting a text that would inform her when the shipment was ready to move. She was on foot two blocks away from the shipping yard, and once she saw the truck with the shipment drive by her location, she would head to Bobo’s warehouse via the subway and ensure it arrived safely. The whole operation should take less than an hour. 

Her heartbeat froze in her chest as she saw a small caravan of black SUVs speed passed her towards the harbor. She grabbed her phone and sent a “911” text to Murphy, the man who would be driving the truck, as she pushed off the building she was leaned against and started walking briskly. 

Two more dark SUVs passed her, and Nicole quickened her pace to an almost jog, checking over her shoulder to see if any cars were following her. She took a sharp turn down an alley and truly started to run. The gun tucked into her jeans was bouncing around dangerously, so she pulled it from her waistband as she sprinted, nearing the end of the alley and preparing to slow her pace back down to a brisk walk so as not to draw unwanted attention. 

She was almost at the mouth of the alley when a black sedan screeched to a halt in front of the exit. A woman leapt from the passenger seat and had a gun trained on Nicole in a matter of seconds, her tall dark skinned partner emerging a moment later with his own weapon drawn. 

“Don’t move, Haught,” a familiar voice said, and although the headlights behind the woman helped to obscure her face, Nicole would know that voice anywhere. “Put the gun down, slowly, and step back and face the wall.” 

Nicole debated her options and quickly realized she didn’t have many. If she ran she’d be shot, and if she complied, she’d also probably be shot, just at a later time…Fuck, she thought, finally bending to place her gun on the ground at her feet. 

“Up against the wall,” the man said, and Nicole did as he asked, turning to place her palms on the bricks, keeping her head down. 

A million thoughts were running through Nicole’s mind as she felt a hand at her back, pushing slightly to make sure she stayed still. She heard a gun being tucked into a holster before a cool hand was around her wrist, pulling her left arm down and behind her back, the cold metal of handcuffs clicking into place against her skin. Her other arm followed suit, and she was turned around to face fiery hazel eyes that were glowing with triumph and some emotion Nicole couldn’t quite place. 

“Nicole Haught,” Waverly said, her voice flat, small clouds forming as she spoke into the cold night air. “You’re under arrest. Agent Dolls and I will be taking you down to the Bureau with us. Where are the others headed?” 

“I’m not sure what you mean, Agent Earp,” Nicole deadpanned, and she saw Waverly’s eyes narrow slightly. 

“Earp, let’s go,” the man who must be Dolls addressed his partner. “It’s freezing out here, and we can question her at the Bureau.” He holstered his own weapon and went to pick up the one that Nicole had discarded. 

Waverly glanced at him and gave a single nod before gripping Nicole’s arm just above the elbow and pulling her towards the vehicle. Nicole sat in the back of the car and watched the darkened city rush by in a blur of lights. She needed to keep her head about her, or this night could very well be her undoing. 

….

Waverly studied the woman on the other side of the mirrored glass. Nicole had been in the interrogation room for an hour or so now, and Waverly and Dolls had been discussing the best way to approach her. Given their recent run-ins and rapport, Dolls felt that Waverly should question Nicole alone at first, which gave the agent a strange queasy feeling in her gut. 

This was the Bureau’s best chance at getting some solid information on Bobo del Ray, and even though they hadn’t been able to intercept the drug shipment, maybe capturing his second in command was even better. Waverly left the observation room and approached the door to the interrogation room, taking a deep breath and setting her shoulders before turning the handle. 

Brown eyes met hers and tracked Waverly’s movement as she slid back the metal chair across the table from Nicole and took a seat. Waverly folded her hands on the table and leaned forward slightly, the two of them watching each other in silence for a long moment. 

“Well, here we are at last, Ms. Haught,” Waverly began. The steady gaze from across the table never wavered from her own. “Can you tell me why you were down by the harbor this evening?” 

Nicole held her gaze silently, and Waverly wondered whether she would say anything at all during this interrogation. “I was going for a walk, it’s a nice night,” Nicole finally said. 

Waverly leaned back and placed her hands in her lap, clenching her fists and then releasing them slowly. Of course Haught wouldn’t make this easy. 

“So you’re telling me it’s a coincidence that you happened to be taking a walk two blocks away from where a large shipment of drugs was being prepared for transport to your employer, Bobo Del Ray?” Waverly asked, and this time she saw the flicker of a smirk at the corner of Nicole’s mouth. 

“I’m not telling you anything, Ms. Earp. You’re the one who just told me that fascinating story,” Nicole quipped, leaning back in her chair and placing her handcuffed hands over one knee. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes. “You can’t really expect me to believe that a shipment of this magnitude was occurring and you had no involvement in it,” Waverly stated rather than asked, and Nicole looked more amused than ever. 

“You can believe in Santa Clause and the Easter bunny for all I care,” Nicole replied, “but whatever your beliefs are don’t really concern me.” 

“Why are you so determined to protect someone so ruthless and uncaring?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole seemed to ponder her response. “You know, once you look past the hideous beard and ridiculous fur coat he’s so fond of, Bobo is actually a pretty decent guy,” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“So you are in love with him,” Waverly stated, which earned her an exaggerated eye roll from Nicole. 

“I thought we’d been over this already,” Nicole answered. “He’s not my type.” 

“Then what is your type?” Waverly heard herself ask, not knowing where the question had come from but now curious to know the answer. 

Brown eyes twinkled mischievously. “Women,” Nicole stated bluntly, and Waverly felt a slight blush spread across her cheeks. 

Nicole looked smug, so Waverly decided to change tactics. 

“What do you think will happen once Bobo finds out that we’ve picked you up?” Waverly asked, and all traces of amusement vanished from Nicole’s face. 

Their eyes held, and Waverly almost pitied the flash of fear she detected on the other woman’s face. 

“Why don’t you let me help you, Nicole?” Waverly’s voice was quiet, attempting to show this woman that she could be trusted. “We can protect you,” she said, and Nicole scoffed. 

“It’s too late for that,” Nicole said, shaking her head slightly and looking down at her handcuffed hands. “You have no evidence that I’ve committed a crime so you’ll have to release me, at which point my fate will be in the hands of Bobo Del Ray. You can’t protect me from him.” She practically whispered the last words, and Waverly’s chest constricted at the resignation in Nicole’s tone. 

Nicole was scared, Waverly could see that, yet the woman was still unwilling to give up any information on Del Ray. She was going to have to release her, just as Nicole had predicted. 

Waverly stood from the table and walked around it to Nicole’s side. The redhead looked confused until Waverly drew a small key from her pocket and reached for Nicole’s hands. She unlocked the handcuffs and placed them in the holster at her belt before sitting on the table near Nicole’s chair, those brown eyes on her in anticipation. 

“You’re correct that we can’t keep you here,” Waverly said, “but I want to implore you to reconsider. Bobo Del Ray is dangerous, and sooner or later you’re going to get caught on the wrong end of one of his operations, Nicole.” She trailed her eyes back and forth over the redhead’s face, trying to see if anything she was saying was sinking in. 

Nicole pushed off of her chair and stood, her height and Waverly’s seated position forcing Waverly to look up to meet her gaze. “I genuinely appreciate the concern, Agent Earp,” she said quietly, rubbing her fingers over her newly freed wrists. “If I make it through the night, I’ll keep an eye out over my shoulder for you.” Her tone sounded teasing, but the smile she gave Waverly didn’t reach her eyes. 

Waverly watched Nicole step out of the room and found herself hoping that she would stay safe. 

….

Nicole stepped out into the cold and took in her surroundings. She was on the west side, so she needed to get a subway to take her east. She didn’t see any of Bobo’s cronies in the vicinity, but she knew she’d have to tell him the truth about where she’d been. If Murphy was able to get the shipment to his warehouse, that would lessen the likelihood of her being on the receiving end of Bobo’s temper, although he’d still be pissed that she was pinched by the Feds, even briefly. 

She pulled up the collar of her jacket against the cold and walked to the nearest subway station. She boarded an eastbound train and leaned her head back against the glass, closing her eyes and letting her exhaustion settle over her. When she reached her stop 30 minutes later, Nicole made her way towards Bobo’s warehouse and held her breath in anticipation of what she would find there. 

The building looked deserted, but Nicole knew Bobo never allowed anyone to park outside where they could be seen. She found the side door and used a key to open it, pushing her way inside and feeling instantly grateful to have the cold wind off her skin. She followed the dim lighting towards the center of the building and heard voices drifting over the hum of the heaters. 

When Nicole emerged into the large open chamber of the warehouse and saw the unmarked truck parked under an overhead light, she almost sank to her knees in relief. The shipment had made it, her warning text had allowed Murphy to escape the harbor without being caught. There may be hope for her yet. 

The driver in question walked around the back of the truck, talking animatedly to none other than Bobo Del Ray himself, gesturing wildly and grinning from ear to ear as he relayed the night’s events to his boss. Bobo looked pleased, albeit annoyed at the man’s enthusiasm, but something hardened in his gaze when he spotted Nicole. 

Bobo waved Murphy off, and Nicole was left alone with him. 

“Where have you been?” he asked. 

Moment of truth, Nicole thought. 

“The Feds picked me up a few blocks away from the harbor,” she kept her tone even, betraying nothing. “They kept me for an hour or so, asked me some stupid questions, and let me go since they had nothing to pin on me.” 

Nicole steeled herself for Bobo’s response. Her very life depended on whether or not Bobo believed her story and didn’t think there was anything he should be concerned about. 

His gaze roamed over her face almost lazily, and Nicole stopped breathing when he stepped within arm’s reach of her. 

“Am I going to have a problem with the authorities, now that they know who you are?” he asked, the gravel in his voice and her internal fear causing goosebumps to spread across Nicole’s skin under her coat. 

“They don’t know anything,” Nicole assured him. “They assume I work for you, but they have no proof, nothing to connect the two of us.” This was a small lie, as Nicole had admitted to Waverly that she worked for Del Ray, but she needed to assuage all suspicions he may have. 

A sharp smack echoed through the room, and the sudden flair of pain across Nicole’s cheek was enough to make her eyes water. She put a hand to her face and saw blood on her fingertips, looking to Bobo with wide eyes. 

“That’s a reminder of what will happen if I hear about any more dealings between you and the Feds. Are we clear?” he looked expectantly at Nicole, and she nodded silently. 

“Excellent,” Bobo continued, suddenly seeming chipper and as if the discussion of a moment ago had been forgotten. “You did well to warn Murphy to get out with the shipment, Haught. I think a celebration is in order!” Bobo clapped his hands excitedly, and Nicole did her best to match his enthusiasm, still reeling from how quickly his mood had changed. 

“Absolutely, boss.” She managed a small smile as she felt the cut across her face pull taut in protest. Bobo’s ring must have cut her. 

“I’ll send word to the guys to meet at Shorty’s tomorrow night, 10:00pm. Bring that hot date of yours, the brunette,” Bobo said, and Nicole’s mouth went dry. 

She found herself nodding as she answered, “Yes, sir.” She swallowed. “I’m going to head home if that’s ok. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” 

Nicole left the warehouse as quickly as she dared, fighting the urge to sprint to the subway station. She boarded a train heading north and put her face in her hands, forgetting her bleeding cheek until her fingers brushed across the wound. 

Bobo wanted her to bring Waverly fucking Earp to a Revenant celebration tomorrow night, and she had agreed. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Nicole looked out the window at the dark tunnel walls flashing by in a blur. 

She had been given no choice, and now Waverly was going to get closer to Bobo Del Ray than she ever imagined she would. But first, Nicole was going to have to be honest with her. Damn it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this one! Things are going to start getting intense! Comments always welcome <3


	7. Time for Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole is forced to share some truth with Waverly, and plans are made for the Revenant celebration.

Waverly woke to the sound of a strong knock at her door. She reached for her phone to check the time. Who on earth would be at her apartment at 6:00am on a Friday? She groaned and rolled out of bed as the knocking sounded again, pulling an old sweatshirt over the tank top she had worn to bed to fight off the morning chill. 

When Waverly finally opened the door, she was met with wide brown eyes she hadn’t expected to see again anytime soon, especially not at her home. “What the-“

Waverly had no time to voice her surprise as Nicole pushed her way into the apartment, quickly shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Waverly hissed at her, crossing her arms over her chest protectively, her eyes flitting to her sidearm by the bed. She debated making a move for it, but Nicole’s open palms showing she meant her no harm kept her still. 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t risk being seen outside,” Nicole said quickly. “I swear I have manners in most situations.” She gave Waverly a half smile, and Waverly felt her shoulders relax. Waverly took in the fresh scrape and dark bruise along Nicole’s left cheek just under her eye and narrowed her eyes, wondering who had inflicted the wound in the few hours since she last saw her. 

“Well, come in I guess,” Waverly said, moving towards the kitchen. “I can’t handle whatever this is without some coffee first.” She moved around the kitchen gathering the appropriate supplies and switched the pot to brew, feeling Nicole’s eyes on her back as she went. As the coffee brewed, Waverly placed 2 mugs on the counter, earning her a surprised look from Nicole as she grabbed the carton of soy milk from the fridge. 

Nicole eyed the milk with a mixture of amusement and disgust. “I knew I guessed right,” she said with a small laugh, and Waverly just shook her head. She didn’t know what to make of a known criminal being in her apartment unannounced, but for some reason she felt more curiosity than alarm. 

When the coffee was finished, Waverly poured them both a cup and added a splash of soy milk to hers, holding the carton out to Nicole when she was done. 

“I’d rather drink it black,” the redhead said, taking the mug gratefully and sipping the dark liquid. 

Waverly walked around the counter and pulled out a stool at the island, gesturing for Nicole to follow suit. 

“Ok, I’ll admit I’m intrigued,” Waverly began. “What are you doing here, Haught?” 

Nicole took another sip of coffee before answering. She seemed almost nervous, and Waverly found herself thinking the other woman was endearing, except for the fact that she was an enforcer to a drug dealer of course. 

Nicole cleared her throat. “Bobo is having a party tomorrow night at Shorty’s, and he requested that I bring you with me.” She stopped and seemed to gauge Waverly’s reaction, which was nothing short of total confusion. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Waverly said. 

Nicole swirled the coffee in her mug and tried again. “The other night, when you followed me to Shorty’s and we talked in the bathroom-“

“After you kissed me, you mean?” Waverly interrupted. 

Nicole coughed once. “Right, yes. Well, I told Bobo that night that you were with me, so now he’s under the impression that we’re dating.” Waverly raised an eyebrow at that, but Nicole continued speaking. “He’s having a celebration tomorrow night, and I’m sort of the guest of honor, so he asked me to bring you. Actually, he instructed me to bring you is more like it, so that’s why I’m here,” she finished with a nod. 

Waverly studied her face for a moment and then broke into a sudden fit of laughter, putting her coffee mug on the bar to avoid sloshing it over the sides. Nicole’s impassive face was enough to make Waverly calm down, and she took a breath to steady herself after her outburst. 

“I’m sorry. It sounds like you’re asking me, a federal agent, to be your date for a Revenant party that’s being held to celebrate illegal dealings that took place last night, of which you said you had no involvement. Do I have that right?” Waverly asked, her tone bordering on laughter again at the ludicrous nature of what she was saying. 

Nicole looked chagrined but nodded. “That’s basically it, yes.” Waverly watched her tap her long index finger against the side of her mug, making a small clicking sound each time her nail hit the ceramic. 

“And why exactly do you think I would accompany you to such an event that will be not only incredibly dangerous but also undoubtedly unamusing to an official in law enforcement?” Waverly asked seriously. 

Nicole sighed. “Because Bobo is expecting me to bring you, and if I don’t I’m not sure how to explain your absence to him.” 

Brown eyes met hazel and Waverly’s gaze moved back to the cut on the woman’s face. She unconsciously lifted her hand and brushed two fingers along the wound, pulling away at Nicole’s sudden intake of breath. 

“He did that, didn’t he?” Waverly asked, and Nicole released her breath before nodding in the affirmative. 

“I’ll be honest,” Nicole started, and Waverly could tell even the idea of honesty was difficult for her. “If I don’t show up with you there, Bobo might be suspicious, and I’m not sure how he will react. Obviously, he was less than thrilled by my being interrogated last night,” Nicole indicated her face, “but he also bought my story about you not knowing anything.” 

“Which is mostly true, since you refuse to tell me anything,” Waverly interjected, and Nicole rolled her eyes. 

“Look, Earp, the way I see it this is a mutually beneficial business arrangement. Your presence at the party puts Bobo’s suspicions about me to rest, and you get an undercover look at this city’s most prestigious criminal organization.” Nicole’s piercing gaze was trained on Waverly’s face, and Waverly knew she had a point. 

If Waverly went to the party with Nicole, she would be the first agent to have first hand knowledge of the group’s members, as well as an opportunity for information gathering from a bunch of drunken idiots not suspecting they were being infiltrated by the Feds. It was actually brilliant, and a slow smile spread across her face. 

“I take it you’re in?” Nicole said, seeming relieved and like a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. 

“I’m in,” Waverly nodded. “But there’s one glaring issue from where I’m sitting,” she continued. 

“You mean the fact that we’re not really dating and know nothing about each other?” Nicole asked. 

“Exactly. What are we supposed to do about that? Won’t Bobo have questions? I assume if this party is in your honor, there’s no way we’ll be able to avoid him all night,” Waverly said. 

Nicole seemed thoughtful for a moment before saying the last words Waverly ever thought she’d hear from a criminal she was actively trying to put in jail. 

“Do you want to hang out today?” 

….

Nicole felt her cheeks flush slightly as the words left her mouth, but it was too late to take them back now. The fact was, she and Waverly had to at least know some basic facts about each other, or the party the next day would be even more dangerous than it already was. There’s no telling what Bobo would do if he caught onto the fact that the two of them were near perfect strangers, let alone that one of them was a cop. She hated to admit it, but Nicole was going to need the help of a Fed to prevent Bobo from finding out she was connected to one. The irony wasn't lost on her. 

“Uh- I’m not- I thought you said we couldn’t be seen out together?” Waverly stammered, looking anywhere but at Nicole’s face in embarrassment. Or maybe disgust. That would be fair, Nicole thought, considering what the woman must think of her. 

“Maybe we can just stay here and get to know each other a little, get the basics down at least so we’re not totally clueless tomorrow?” Nicole suggested, and Waverly seemed to relax slightly. 

“Ok, yeah sure, that should be fine,” the shorter woman said, suddenly standing from the bar and taking her coffee with her. She walked to the living room and plopped onto the room’s only piece of furniture, a large gray sectional that she’d had for years. 

She looked over the back of the couch towards Nicole, who still hadn’t moved from the bar stool in the kitchen. “You coming?” she asked, and that seemed to jumpstart the redhead into action. 

Nicole approached the couch warily, deciding to sit on the opposite end from where Waverly was sitting with her feet stretched out on the L-shaped side of the sofa. She watched in amusement as the pajama-clad Waverly pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over herself, seeming to sink further into the couch with her coffee mug in hand, humming as she took a sip. 

“First thing you should know about me,” Waverly began, “I love blankets. I have at least 4 on my bed at all times.” 

Nicole laughed lightly and glanced towards the doorway of the apartment’s only bedroom, wondering how the agent before her would have chosen to decorate the space. From what she could see of the main living area, Waverly favored calm gray and green tones, with a lot of natural finishes like the butcher-block counter and reclaimed coffee table beside them. They had similar taste, she noted absently. 

“I’m always too hot for a lot of blankets,” Nicole stated, “and I can’t sleep if I’m hot.” 

Waverly quirked a brow at her. “Well, what do you sleep in then?” 

Nicole watched the blush spread across Waverly’s face as she realized what she’d just asked. 

“I mean, that’s something girlfriends would know about each other, right?” Waverly tried to cover, and Nicole nodded. 

“Sure, of course,” Nicole said, deciding how honest to be with the woman. Fuck it, it’s not like it matters if she knows what I sleep in, Nicole thought. “I usually just sleep in a t-shirt, but if it’s warm out I just sleep naked,” she stated, matter-of-fact, and Waverly’s blush deepened. 

“As adorable as it is, you’re going to have to knock off this whole constant-blushing thing before we get in front of Bobo tomorrow,” Nicole said. 

Waverly’s eyes snapped up to hers.

“Did you just call me adorable?” Waverly said, and now it was Nicole’s turn to blush. 

She coughed and took a sip of her coffee. “We’re getting sidetracked here,” Nicole said. “Tell me about your parents. And do you have any siblings?” 

Something sad and distant passed over Waverly’s features, and Nicole knew the story wouldn’t be a happy one. 

“My parents are both dead,” Waverly said quietly. “I had two sisters, Willa and Wynonna. Willa died when I was younger, so now it’s just Wynonna, but we don’t see each other much anymore. She moved away after Willa died, and she’s not the greatest about keeping in touch.” 

Nicole felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch Waverly’s hand, but she shook the thought from her mind and remained still. 

“I’m an only child. My parents are still alive, but we don’t keep in touch either,” Nicole admitted, looking out the window as she spoke. “They weren’t thrilled when I left Oklahoma after college, and when I told them I was dating a woman they…didn’t react well.” She brought her gaze back to Waverly, who was staring at her with such rapt attention it almost seemed like she really cared to get to know her. 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly said, “that must be really hard. It’s almost worse that your parents are still here but don’t want to be a part of your life.” She gave Nicole a sad smile and studied the mug in her hands. 

Nicole cleared her throat, seeming to dismiss the dark turn their conversation had suddenly taken. “How did we meet?” she asked, since this was one part of their relationship story the two of them would need to have down pat. 

“That’s easy, we met in a bar and decided to have breakfast together the next day. You are a pancake lover after all, right dear?” Waverly winked, and Nicole genuinely laughed for the first time in days. 

It was a good story because it blended bits of the truth. She and Waverly had met in a bar, Shorty’s in fact, and Nicole had been eating breakfast at the time. Simple and easy to remember, it was perfect. Nicole chose to ignore the strange feeling she got when Waverly called her ‘dear’. 

“What’s your favorite breakfast food?” Nicole asked. 

“French toast,” Waverly said immediately, a smile overtaking her face. Nicole stared. Waverly Earp was beautiful, and the fact that she even noticed was startling, considering she hadn’t been in a real relationship in…years, if she was honest with herself. 

Waverly kept talking, immune to the inner workings of Nicole’s mind as she watched her. “I remember my Momma making the best French toast when we were little,” she said wistfully. “She always put strawberries and chocolate syrup on mine, and to this day that’s what I always order when I go out for breakfast.” 

“French toast for Waves, got it,” Nicole said with a smile, which immediately fell from her face at the look Waverly was giving her. “Are you ok?” she asked. 

Waverly just shook her head a few times before answering. “You called me ‘Waves’. No one’s called me that in…I don’t know, five years or so.” 

Nicole looked concerned. “I’m sorry, should I not call you that? I figured it would make sense for us to have nicknames for each other, and ‘Waves’ just seemed like it suited you.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Waverly responded, catching Nicole’s eye and smiling softly. “I just hadn’t heard it in a while, that’s all.” She seemed lost in thought for a moment, or perhaps an old memory, before addressing Nicole again. “What should I call you?” 

Nicole thought it over. “Well, usually people just call me Haught, but I guess you can call me Nicky? That’s the only other nickname I’ve ever had,” Nicole said. 

“Nicky.” Waverly seemed to be testing the name out, and the look on her face as she said it was indecipherable. “That works,” she said with a nod. 

Nicole’s phone chimed loudly, and she stood to slide it out of her back pocket. She glanced at the screen and frowned, typing a quick reply before stowing it away and meeting Waverly’s eyes. 

“I have to go,” Nicole said, and her tone sounded reluctant even to her own ears. 

Waverly untangled herself from the blanket and stood as well, following Nicole towards the front door. There was a moment of awkward silence in which Nicole didn’t know what to do. 

“Should we- Is it weird if we hug?” Waverly asked. “I just feel like we need to be semi comfortable touching each other, you know?” 

Nicole was surprised but just nodded once, taking a step towards the shorter woman and opening her arms for her. One small step brought Waverly somewhat awkwardly into Nicole’s space, and the redhead wrapped her arms around her carefully. She closed her eyes at the scent of Waverly’s strawberry shampoo, and she felt the smaller woman’s arms meet tentatively behind her back. Neither of them moved, and Nicole had no idea how long they stood there before she remembered the text from Murphy. 

Nicole dropped her arms from around Waverly’s shoulders and stepped back, meeting hazel eyes that looked just as uncertain as she felt. 

“If I don’t see you before then, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow around 9:45pm. Is that ok?” Nicole asked, feeling like she was asking Waverly on an actual date.

Waverly gave her a small smile and nodded. “That sounds fine. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she said, opening the door for Nicole to leave. 

“Tomorrow,” Nicole said, and she hurried out the door and down the stairs, emerging into the early morning sunshine and the sounds of the bustling city. Tomorrow, she thought, equal parts fear and excitement taking root in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me guys, it's about to get interesting! I so appreciate all the comments and kind words so far, keep 'em coming and let me know your thoughts! 
> 
> Hoping to get another chapter or two up for you all today. Cheers to weekend snow days!


	8. Undercover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly attend the Revenant party, and Waverly pushes Bobo for information about his next operation, much to Nicole's chagrin.

It was 9:43pm when Nicole parked on the street in front of Waverly’s building. She had decided to drive, which she rarely did in the city, in case she needed to make a quick exit if things went south tonight. She locked the car and headed inside, stepping into the elevator in the lobby and pressing the button for Waverly’s floor. 

Nicole checked her reflection in the mirrored elevator doors. She’d opted for comfort and practicality, wearing a Toronto Raptors hat, plain white t-shirt under a black leather jacket, and dark jeans that allowed her to tuck her pistol into the waistband. 

The elevator dinged signaling Waverly’s floor, and Nicole stepped out and headed for her door. She took a deep breath and knocked twice, checking the hallway on either side as she waited. You have nothing to be nervous about, Haught, this isn’t an actual date, she told herself. 

Waverly’s front door opened, and the pep talk Nicole had given herself went out the window in a heartbeat. Her eyes traveled over heeled booties, a black leather skirt that ended above the knee, and a dark green crop top that was partially covered by a long black jacket. The jacket did nothing to hide the bare strip of skin below the crop top’s hem, and Nicole’s gaze lingered there for a bit longer than necessary before she meet hazel eyes that were similarly appraising her. 

“Um, hi,” Nicole said, fiddling with the car keys in her hand. “You look…great. Definitely not like any cop I’ve ever seen, so good choice.” Smooth, idiot. 

Waverly laughed lightly. “Well, not-a-cop was what I was going for, so thanks I guess,” she said. “You look nice, too.” 

They stood there for a minute before Nicole finally cleared her throat and gestured over her shoulder with a thumb. 

“You ready to go?” she asked.

“Ready to crash a Revenant party? Sure thing,” Waverly said, slinging a small purse across her chest and stepping into the hall. 

….

The car ride to Shorty’s was quiet, and Waverly wondered if Nicole was as nervous as she was. She had seemed nervous in her doorway, but the further they drove the more Nicole seemed to be steeling herself for the night ahead of them. Waverly glanced over at the woman next to her, taking in the firm set of her jaw, her focused gaze on the road and their surroundings, her fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel in time with the radio. 

Nicole had flipped her hat around so the brim faced backwards, and the move had given Waverly a fluttery feeling in her chest. Thankfully her unwelcome thoughts were interrupted when Nicole spoke suddenly. 

“You’re not armed, right?” Nicole asked, flicking her eyes to Waverly briefly before focusing back on the road. 

“I have a .38 in my bag,” Waverly said. 

Nicole shook her head. “You can’t take that in, if anyone finds a weapon on you there’ll be no way to explain that. You can stick it in the glove box,” Nicole finished, pointing to the compartment in front of Waverly’s knees. 

Waverly hesitated, making no move to stow her weapon. “Are you carrying?” she asked, and Nicole nodded once. 

“If anything goes sideways, I’ll do my best to protect you. You’re just going to have to trust me on that,” Nicole said, meeting Waverly’s eyes for a moment. 

“Fine,” Waverly agreed, seeing she didn’t really have a choice in the matter. She placed the small revolver in the glove box and closed it with a snap. 

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck with one hand as they sat at a red light. “Full disclosure, I’m generally pretty…affectionate with women I date, so some PDA is going to be necessary tonight. Are you ok with that?” 

The question sounded sincere, and Waverly pondered her response before answering. “I’m good with it if you are,” she said, doing her best to ignore the thoughts swirling in her head at the idea of Nicole touching her. 

Nicole pulled the car to the curb and put it in park a block away from the bar. “We’re here,” she said, hopping out of the driver’s seat and walking around to open Waverly’s door for her. Waverly raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment on it as she stepped out of the SUV. 

She watched Nicole take a deep breath, letting her shoulders relax and completely emptying her lungs with her eyes closed as they stood on the sidewalk. When Nicole reopened her eyes, it was as if a transformation had taken place right before Waverly’s eyes. Gone was the nervous woman at her door 10 minutes ago, and in her place was a confident gangster in complete control of her emotions. 

Waverly felt slightly unsettled at the rapid change in Nicole’s demeanor, but if they were going to get through this night without incident they would both need to be at their best. She knew the risk Nicole was taking in bringing her here, but she also knew the opportunity she was being given if she could gather any useful information from Bobo’s followers. Waverly was ready. 

“Let’s do this,” Waverly said, surprising the taller woman as she grabbed her hand and started walking towards the bar. 

Waverly could tell that Nicole was in her element, all signs of nerves forgotten as she pushed open the door to Shorty’s with Waverly’s hand still in hers. A resounding cheer went up from the crowd when they were spotted, and the dimpled grin that spread across Nicole’s face was instantaneous and breathtaking. 

That was the first genuine smile Waverly had seen grace the redhead’s features, and she had to admit it was a good look on her. She felt an answering smile appear on her own face and gave Nicole’s hand a squeeze. Let the undercover games begin.

….

Shorty’s was packed. Bobo must’ve called up every member of the Revenants on the entire east coast Nicole thought as she took in the crowd before her. She wove through the crowd, Waverly’s hand still in her firm grip, and people clapped her on the shoulder as they passed and made their way to the bar. 

The music was so loud Nicole could feel the bass pounding in her chest, and the lights had been dimmed to give the bar more of a club vibe than its typical western ambiance. There was only one free stool at the bar, so she motioned for Waverly to sit as she stood behind her. 

“What’ll it be for the guest of honor?” Tony yelled over the music, and Nicole leaned into Waverly’s back and called out her usual order, holding up 2 fingers to indicate one for herself and one for Waverly. 

Nicole felt the tension in the stiffness of Waverly’s posture, so she bent her head and put her lips against her ear. “Relax, Waves, this is a party.” Waverly nodded, her long hair tickling the side of Nicole’s face. She smelled like strawberries again, and Nicole inhaled the scent into her lungs. 

Tony placed their drinks in front of them as Nicole felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind. 

“If it isn’t the hero of the hour and the woman who saved my ass the other night!” Murphy yelled into her ear, clearly already drunk off his ass if his breath in Nicole’s face was any indication. 

Nicole turned around to give Murphy a pat on the back before holding the man at arm’s length. “I see you started the celebration early, Murph,” she gave him a disapproving look, and Murphy shrugged apologetically. 

His eyes drifted to Waverly and he suddenly stood up straighter, smoothing a hand over his beard in an attempt to tame the wiry mess. 

“And who do we have here?” he said to the brunette, and Nicole watched Waverly reach out a hand to shake. 

“Waverly,” she said, and Murphy kept her hand in his grip for a second too long, Nicole noticed. 

“Well the pleasure is all mine, Miss Waverly,” Murphy said with a slight bow, and Nicole rolled her eyes. 

“She’s with me, Murph,” Nicole said, and the man’s face morphed into a pathetic pout that made Waverly laugh. 

“Aw c’mon, Haught, you always get all the hottest women and can’t leave any for the rest of us poor folks?” he whined, and now Nicole was the one who laughed. 

“Sorry not sorry, Murph,” Nicole said, slinging an arm around Waverly’s waist and pulling her body flush to her side. 

“Well, since you singlehandedly saved that shipment the other night, I guess you deserve her,” Murphy said, clapping Nicole on the shoulder. “It was nice to meet you, Waverly. You two have a fun night.” He winked at the pair of them and disappeared into the crowd. 

Nicole released Waverly and turned to the bar to grab her shot of tequila, sliding the other towards Waverly. “Cheers,” Nicole said, tapping their glasses together before downing her shot in one go. 

….

“Cheers,” Waverly echoed, swallowing her shot and eyeing Nicole as she placed her empty glass back on the bar. “So, singlehandedly saving shipments, huh?” she asked, quirking a brow at Nicole. 

“Off the record, I’m kind of a big deal,” Nicole said with a wink, and Waverly rolled her eyes. 

“Ok, Miss Hotshot, let’s see how big of a deal you are on the dance floor,” Waverly challenged, grabbing Nicole’s hand and pulling her to the middle of the bar where bodies were packed together and moving to the music. 

Waverly threw her arms around Nicole’s shoulders as they began to move, feeling the bass thrumming through her body. She met Nicole’s eyes as she swayed her hips in time with the beat, feeling Nicole’s hands come to rest on the bare skin at her waist. Her skin burned where Nicole touched her, and Waverly turned in her arms to break their eye contact. Focus, Earp, remember why you’re here, she thought. 

Waverly scanned the crowd as she continued to move, her back now against Nicole’s front as she took in the faces around them. The dim lighting was making it hard to see people clearly, but she picked out at least half a dozen faces she’d seen in her investigation of known Revenant associates. 

She gasped when she felt Nicole’s grip tighten at her waist and her hot breath on the side of her neck below her ear. “Bobo’s here,” Nicole said, the brush of her lips causing goosebumps to bloom across Waverly’s skin. 

Waverly watched Bobo walk through the crowd, flanked by a woman on each arm and dressed in an absurd fur coat that almost reached the floor. Suddenly it was as if he was looking right at her, and Waverly’s rhythm faltered as she became more rigid. She watched him nod once and point to a table in the back corner before turning towards one of the women and whispering something in her ear. 

“Show time,” Nicole whispered in her ear, and Waverly felt a warm hand in hers before she was being pulled off the dance floor. 

….

This is it, Nicole thought as she led Waverly through the crowd toward Bobo’s reserved table. I hope Earp’s ready for this. 

Bobo and the two women were already seated when Nicole and Waverly made it to the table, and Nicole stopped short waiting for Bobo to invite them to sit. She watched his eyes roam over Waverly's body and fought the urge to punch him in the throat. She felt Waverly tighten her grip on her hand, and Nicole interlaced their fingers before clearing her throat. 

The sound seemed to remind Bobo of his manners, and he gestured for them to take the seats across the table from him. 

“Ladies, I’m so happy to see you both tonight,” he said, keeping his eyes on Waverly as he spoke. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Haught?” 

Nicole worked to keep her voice level. “Bobo, this is my girlfriend, Waverly,” she said, the emphasis on the word ‘girlfriend’ intentional as she stared her boss down. “Waverly, this is Bobo Del Ray.” 

Bobo reached a tattooed hand across the table, and Waverly shook it once before pulling hers back and putting it in her lap. 

“It’s great to meet you, Bobo,” Waverly said, and Nicole was glad to hear that her voice was steady and betrayed no nerves. 

“Likewise, Waverly,” Bobo said, looking disappointed at the loss of contact. “I’d say Ms. Haught here is lucky to have someone like you in her life.” 

“Oh, I think I’m the lucky one,” Waverly responded, shooting Nicole a smile that made her heart rate pick up speed. 

“And how did you two meet?” Bobo asked. He looked merely curious, but Nicole knew the interrogation had just begun. 

“We met at a bar late one night, and Nicole asked me out to breakfast the following morning,” Waverly said. “Karen’s diner has the best French toast in the city, don’t you think?” Waverly directed the question at Bobo, and Nicole smiled at the additional detail Waverly had added to make their story more believable. So far, so good. 

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Bobo responded. “I’m not much of a breakfast person myself.” He took a sip of his drink and seemed to ponder his next question. 

Nicole jumped in before he could continue his inquisition. “Boss, you should tell Waverly that story about your trip to Venezuela. She’s a big traveler herself, so I’m sure she’d love to hear all about it.” 

“Now that is a great story,” Bobo began, and Nicole tuned out as he dove into the familiar tale. She gazed around the room and watched the couples on the dance floor for a while, before her attention was brought back to the table by Waverly squeezing the hand resting in her lap. 

“We don’t see my sister much, since she lives in Chicago now,” Waverly was saying. “But we try to make it out to Oklahoma every once in a while to see Nicky’s family.” 

Nicole froze. Bobo knew she and her family weren’t close, but maybe he wouldn’t notice Waverly’s mistake. 

She shouldn’ve known better. 

“I thought you didn’t speak to your parents, Haught?” Bobo asked, dark eyes boring into hers as he awaited her response. 

Nicole felt Waverly tighten her grip on her hand, realizing she had fucked up. 

“We’ve been in touch recently,” Nicole lied. “They’re making an effort, but I don’t think it’ll go anywhere.” 

Bobo seemed to consider her answer, and Waverly spoke suddenly to break the silence. 

“Do you have any family in the city?” she asked Bobo, and he relaxed back into the booth and swirled the drink in his glass. 

“My father and brother are both local,” he answered. “They’re the ones who helped me get the business up and running back in the day.” 

Nicole watched Waverly’s eyebrows raise in surprise, and she knew that bit of information must be news to the Bureau. Tread lightly, Earp, she thought. 

“And was it always your goal to take over the family business, or did you just fall into this line of work?” Waverly asked. Nicole squeezed her hand in caution under the table. 

To her surprise, Bobo laughed before answering. “It definitely wasn’t my original idea to take over from my father, but once I saw how much money he was making it was pretty hard to resist as a kid with no other prospects,” he said. 

Nicole let out the breath she’d been holding. So far they were still in safe territory. 

“How was it that Nicole started working for you?” Waverly asked next, and Nicole’s gaze flew to the woman next to her in alarm before she quickly schooled her expression. 

Bobo looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’m surprised Haught hasn’t told you that story herself,” he remarked, and he nodded once to indicate that Nicole should tell the tale. 

Nicole released Waverly’s hand and crossed her arms on the table as she leaned on her elbows. “I was homeless when I first met Bobo,” she started, hearing the sharp intake of breath from Waverly. “I was 25, no family, and unable to hold down a job anywhere in the city. It was a pretty difficult time.” 

Nicole paused, wondering what Waverly must be thinking. 

“One night, I was hunkered down in the alley across the street, and I saw a guy try to rob Bobo at gunpoint. I reacted without thinking, running across the street and tackling the guy before he could hurt anyone,” Nicole said, a faraway look in her eye as she recalled the night in question. 

“You should’ve seen the size of the guy,” Bobo jumped in, a proud look on his face as he gazed at Nicole. “Haught took him down without hesitation, and from that day on she became my right hand, glued to my side like a shadow.” 

Nicole huffed out a laugh. “It was a lot easier being your shadow when I was young and hungry. Three years of this work has made me old and slow,” she smirked at her boss, who was shaking his head in disagreement. 

“Please, Haught, you can still throw down with the best of ‘em. People wouldn’t fear you as much as they do if that wasn’t the truth,” Bobo said, and Nicole felt the heat rise to her cheeks, more from shame than embarrassment at Bobo’s praise. 

Bobo was right, she had become a well-known name with rival gangs over the past few years, and it wasn’t due to her friendly demeanor. Nicole picked at the wood of the table under her arms. She felt a hand slide across her jacket and come to rest at her lower back. 

….

“I think it’s amazing you were able to turn your life around like that,” Waverly said, and the two of them just stared at each other for a moment. 

The need to comfort Nicole had been completely unconscious. Waverly could tell Nicole was ashamed of her past and the series of events that had brought her to this point in her life. She thought it was a miracle Nicole was still alive after living on the streets of New York for any length of time.

She was learning more about Bobo and Nicole than she would’ve thought possible, but Waverly needed some actionable intelligence to take back to the Bureau. She needed to push a bit harder to see what else she could gather. 

“So what’s next for the Revenants?” Waverly asked Bobo. “You’re already so successful, what’s next on the horizon?” 

Bobo met her eyes thoughtfully, his next words surprising Waverly. “Well, I’m hoping to expand our operation to the north,” Bobo responded. “We have a meeting next week to meet with a potential business partner who could make our operation even more lucrative.” 

Waverly fought the urge to bounce in her seat with excitement. The statement Bobo had just given her was pure gold and gave her and the Bureau a credible lead to track down. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when Nicole slid a hand over her thigh under the table, squeezing slightly as she spoke. 

“Enough work talk, babe, this is supposed to be a party,” Nicole said, meeting her eyes with a look that told Waverly she needed to quit while she was ahead. “Let’s go see what else Tony’s got behind the bar to warm us up a bit.” 

Nicole stood from the table and held out a hand for Waverly to take. Bobo was watching the two of them with interest and a hint of amusement. Waverly grasped Nicole’s hand and slid from the booth, a chill going up her spine as Nicole dropped her hand in favor of placing her palm on the bare skin of her lower back. 

Waverly walked in front of Nicole towards the bar, the contact never leaving her back as they wove through dancing bodies. This time they both stood shoulder to shoulder and leaned on the bar, as all of the stools were currently occupied. Tony was busy serving other patrons further down the bar, so they waited for him to notice them. 

Nicole leaned close and spoke into Waverly’s ear to be heard over the music. “You were getting a little too brave with that line of questioning, Waves,” Nicole said, and Waverly couldn’t blame her for sounding upset. She had been pushing the envelope a little with Bobo, but she had a job to do. 

“I don’t think he suspected anything, relax Nicole,” Waverly answered, and Nicole’s eyes flashed dangerously. 

“I’ll relax when we get out of here in one piece,” she said. “And we’ll get out of here in one piece if you remember to lay low and keep your mouth shut,” Nicole breathed just loud enough for Waverly to hear. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes at the redhead. “Watch how you speak to me, Haught,” her eyes never left the brown ones that were focused intently on her, the irritation plain on Nicole’s face. 

Nicole leaned close enough that Waverly could feel her warm breath fanning her face. “I’ll speak to you however I see fit until I can get us out of this mess,” Nicole practically growled. 

Waverly caught a flash of brown in the corner of her eye, and she realized Bobo was moving through the crowd towards the bar, only a few feet away from their current position. 

She acted on impulse, needing to cover the tension between them before Bobo realized something was amiss. Waverly turned to face Nicole and put a hand behind her neck, pulling her face down until she could meet the taller woman’s lips. Nicole recovered from her initial surprise quickly, turning her body to meet Waverly’s and framing Waverly’s face with her hands as she responded to the kiss. 

Waverly felt Nicole take control of the kiss, turning her head to get a better angle and asking for entrance with a swipe of her tongue against Waverly’s bottom lip. Waverly opened for Nicole without hesitation, gripping the hair at Nicole’s neck as their tongues slid against each other slowly. Nicole tasted of cinnamon and vanilla and warmth, and Waverly couldn’t get enough. 

“Get a room dykes!” A drunken Revenant behind Nicole slurred the words, and before Waverly knew what had happened, Nicole’s lips were torn from hers and the drunk was on the ground with blood gushing from a broken nose. 

Nicole looked as though she was about to punch the man again, so Waverly grabbed her arm and pulled the redhead back against her chest, feeling Nicole’s heavy breathing at the sudden burst of adrenaline. 

A deep gravelly laugh sounded from her right, and Waverly looked over to see Bobo shaking with mirth at the scene before him. 

“That’ll teach you to open your dumb mouth, eh Johnson?” Bobo asked, the grin never leaving his face as the bleeding man held his shirt to his bloody face. Bobo looked to Nicole and gave her a single nod. 

Nicole returned the gesture, then grabbed Waverly’s hand with a shaky one of her own and turned away from the bar. It took a moment for Waverly to realize they were heading for the door, but she wasn’t about to protest. 

Nicole dropped her hand the second they got outside, the late autumn air cooling Waverly’s heightened nerves as they walked. She glanced over at Nicole, the redhead setting a brisk pace towards the car and refusing to meet Waverly’s eyes. Waverly noticed the repeated clenching and unclenching of Nicole’s fist by her side. 

Waverly heard the car beep unlocked and Nicole climbed into the driver’s seat, Waverly following suit on the passenger side. They sat in silence, Nicole’s hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that Waverly could see the whites of her knuckles. Nicole finally turned the key in the ignition, and Waverly was thankful for the heat. 

“Is your hand ok?” Waverly asked finally, her voice sounding too loud in the quiet car. 

Nicole removed her hat and tossed it on the dash, running a hand through her shoulder length hair. “I think it’s fine,” she said, not bothering to look at her knuckles. 

“Let me see,” Waverly said, holding out her hand. 

Nicole sighed and placed her hand in Waverly’s. Waverly pressed the button to turn on the overhead light so she could examine Nicole’s hand. There was some light bruising spread along her first two knuckles, and a bit of blood that must have been from the sudden gush from Johnson’s nose. Waverly wiped at the blood, noticing Nicole’s hand was covered in tiny white scars that must have accumulated over years of doing Bobo’s bidding. She touched each one lightly, until Nicole pulled her hand away suddenly and put the car in gear. 

“I’ll take you home,” she said quietly, pulling away from the curb and into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this extra long chapter! Things are about to get exciting now that Waverly has new leads to follow. Let me know what you think in the comments! <3


	9. Threats & Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Threats are made and introductions are in order.

“This is the chance we’ve been waiting for,” Waverly said excitedly, catching Dolls up on what she’d learned at the Revenant party three nights before. “Del Ray told me himself that he’d be meeting a high profile dealer sometime this week, and if we can get eyes on that meeting we can bust him once and for all.” 

Dolls was methodically cleaning his sidearm as he listened to his partner. “So how do you propose to find out when and where this meeting is happening?” he asked. 

“Easy. I’ll ask Haught, and if she won’t tell me then I’ll follow her until the meet takes place,” Waverly replied. 

Dolls looked skeptical. “Why do you think Haught would help us on this? What’s in it for her?” 

Waverly considered the question. “Things are getting dangerous for her,” she began, thinking through the issue from Nicole’s point of view as best she could. “If she doesn’t help us, she risks us going to Bobo and revealing my connection to her. On the other hand, if she does help us, we can get her a clean break from the Revenants in exchange for any information she can provide to us for Del Ray’s prosecution.” 

“You’d be willing to burn her with Del Ray in order to force her to talk?” Dolls asked, seeming surprised that Waverly would suggest such a tactic. 

Waverly paused, thinking back on their night at Shorty’s. Nicole’s smooth confidence, the touch of a protective hand on her back, her ridiculously sexy backwards hat, the feel of her lips…

“Earp?” Dolls interrupted her train of thought. 

Waverly sighed, shaking her head. “No, I wouldn’t actually leverage Nicole’s safety to force her to talk to us, but she doesn’t have to know that. I’ll try approaching her first, and if she won’t talk then I’ll…plant the idea in her mind that I might be willing to resort to desperate measures in order to get her to cooperate.” 

The guilt settled into Waverly’s gut even as she spoke the words. She hoped Nicole would be willing to work with her on this, but there was only one way to find out. 

….

Nicole sat at a small table at her usual coffee shop, sipping a cappuccino and watching people stroll by the shop’s windows. A flash of long brown hair under a gray knit beanie caught her eye, and she gripped the mug tighter in her hand. Waverly freaking Earp. 

Waverly strode into the shop and walked straight to the back where the restrooms were, never glancing Nicole’s way. Nicole left her mug on the table and wound her way between tables, knocking twice before opening the bathroom door and slipping inside. 

She turned to face Waverly, whose cheeks were rosy from the cool air outside. 

“Is having business meetings in bathrooms gonna be our thing?” Nicole asked with a smile, and Waverly matched her expression as she leaned a hip against the sink. 

“Well you said I wasn’t invited to your place anymore, so here we are Nicky,” she said. 

She had a point, Nicole thought. 

“Ok, so why are you here?” Nicole asked. “You haven’t had any issues since the other night, right? Nobody’s been following you or anything?” 

Waverly shook her head no.

“So you just missed me then?” Nicole asked, smirking at Waverly. Nicole saw a somewhat guilty expression pass over Waverly’s face, and the laughter died on her lips. 

“I need some information,” Waverly said, and Nicole crossed her arms across her chest, immediately defensive. 

“Information about what?” Nicole asked.

Waverly didn’t meet her eyes as she spoke. “Bobo’s high profile meeting this week. I need to know when it is, where it’s happening.”

Nicole stared Waverly down, trying to keep her anger in check before she answered. 

“You know I can’t tell you that,” she said, and Waverly finally met her eyes. 

“What’s different about this than taking me to the Revenant party last week?” Waverly asked. “We worked together then, so why can’t we do the same now?” 

“I’ll tell you what’s different, Earp.” Nicole was fuming, but she worked to keep her voice low, remembering where they were. “I took you to that party because Bobo wanted to see you there, and he wanted to make sure that we were a real couple and you weren’t a cop or a snitch. You were able to gather information purely out of chance and because I needed you at that party. Now, you’re asking me to blatantly give you information that would betray my boss and my livelihood, and that’s something I am still not willing to do.” 

Nicole watched Waverly’s face, waiting to see how the agent would react. 

“If you don’t tell me what I need to know, I’ll just have someone tailing you until the meet happens. I know Bobo won’t have that meeting without you there, and if we follow you to the meet he’ll just assume you led us there on purpose, which I assume won’t end well for you.” Waverly raised an eyebrow at her, crossing her arms and imitating Nicole’s defensive stance. 

Nicole was shocked. She has to be bluffing, she thought. There’s no way an upstart Fed would risk an informant’s life, even an unwilling informant such as herself. She’d call Waverly’s bluff and take extra precautions to make sure she wasn’t followed to the meet the following day. 

Nicole stepped into Waverly’s space, lowering her voice to an almost whisper. “I don’t take kindly to being threatened, Miss Earp. And if I see any sign of you or any of your Fed buddies following me once I leave this café, I can’t guarantee things won’t get ugly for you.” 

She flicked her gaze to Waverly’s lips briefly, remembering the feel of them on her own at the bar. 

“Have a nice afternoon, Agent Earp.” Nicole stepped to the door but felt a hand on her wrist, stopping her from exiting the restroom. She turned back to face Waverly, whose eyes had turned pleading. 

“Nicole, please,” she began, keeping hold of Nicole’s wrist. “We’re going to bring Bobo down one way or another, and I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire.” 

Nicole could have believed Waverly’s concern was sincere, if the woman hadn’t threatened her life mere moments before. She pulled her wrist free of Waverly’s grip and put her hand on the door handle. 

“Save the sentimentality for someone who believes it,” Nicole replied quietly, opening the door and leaving the café in a hurry. 

….

“Fuck,” Waverly said under her breath, waiting a few moments before exiting the bathroom. Their discussion hadn’t gone to plan, and now Waverly was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She could heed Nicole’s warning and stay away from the meet, waiting for another lead to come up on Bobo and his gang, or she could follow Nicole to the meet and endanger both of their lives if she was caught. 

Maybe there was another option…

….

Nicole stood from the uncomfortable metal chair and slid the navy blazer off her shoulders and down her arms, draping it over the chair’s back as neatly as she could. She hated a wrinkled suit. Next she unfastened the buttons at each wrist and methodically rolled up the white sleeves of her blouse so they fell just below her elbows. She cracked her neck and stretched her back before taking her seat again, waiting. 

Another thirty minutes or so went by before the door finally opened, and Waverly Earp walked in followed by her partner, a man Nicole had only seen once before, the night they arrested her the first time. 

They took seats across the table, Nicole watching the nervous darting of Waverly’s eyes anywhere but towards where she was seated. She should be nervous, Nicole thought. 

Nicole crossed an ankle over the opposite knee and waited. The man must have sensed his partner’s nerves, for he was the first to break the silence. 

“So Ms. Haught, we’ve arrested you on charges of aiding and abetting and conspiracy to traffic illegal substances,” he said. “Do you wish to wait for an attorney, or are you willing to speak to us regarding these charges?” 

Nicole kept her gaze on Waverly, who seemed fascinated by the table in front of her at the moment. 

“I’ll talk,” Nicole said, and hazel eyes suddenly snapped to meet hers. “The only evidence you have against me is based on hearsay, provided by Miss Earp I assume, which isn’t admissible in court as I’m sure you all know. Even Feds aren’t that dense I presume.” 

Waverly’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

“I was wearing a wire the night we went to that party, Nicole, so everything that was said by you, Bobo, and most importantly Murphy Barnes was recorded as evidence. And as I’m sure you know, such evidence is admissible in court if it offers admissions of guilt to a crime,” Waverly finished. Nicole found her self-satisfied tone annoying but sexy at the same time. 

“I’m surprised you were able to hide a wire given how few clothes you were wearing,” she stated, and the blush across Waverly’s cheeks was instantaneous. Gotcha, Earp. 

“You didn’t seem to mind what I was wearing considering you spent half the night staring,” Waverly shot back. Nicole laughed, and Dolls cleared his throat uncomfortably. 

“Earp, I’ll leave you to handle this for now, but I’ll be right outside if you need me,” Dolls said, excusing himself from the table and leaving the two women alone in the room. 

“I can appreciate a thing of beauty when I see one,” Nicole said, addressing the remark Waverly made about her staring. “Even if that beauty is tarnished by a self righteous attitude and penchant for putting other people in danger,” she finished. 

“If I wanted to put you in danger, I would’ve left you out there and waited for you to get killed thanks to your boss,” Waverly responded. “Instead, I decided to try to help you by bringing you in and keeping you safe.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair. “The only thing you’ve actually achieved by bringing me in is confirmed to Bobo that I am in fact a snitch for the Feds, so the second I walk out this door I’m a dead woman.” 

“That’s the point, Nicole, you won’t be leaving,” Waverly said. “You may not like the idea of prison, but your cooperation with us will get you a short sentence, and while you’re locked up you’ll be safe. Enough time should pass for Bobo to forget about you, so upon your release you’ll be free to do whatever you want without looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.” 

There was a long pause before Nicole could no longer help it and burst into laughter. She pictured herself in an orange jumpsuit sharing a tiny cell with a tattooed stranger and had to wipe tears from her eyes she was laughing so hard. 

Waverly looked less amused Nicole noticed, when she finally caught her breath. 

“What on earth is so funny to you, Nicole?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole shook her head as she answered. “The fact that you think I’ll ever step foot in a jail cell, Miss Earp,” Nicole replied. 

Waverly looked as though she was about to respond when there was a knock at the door, and Dolls entered the room again. This time, he wasn’t alone. Finally, Nicole thought. 

….

“Earp,” Dolls said, indicating the woman behind him, “this is Special Agent Grey, with the DEA.” 

The woman was tall and thin with long blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She wore a gray suit with heels and carried a briefcase in one hand. 

Waverly stood and shook the agent’s hand. “Waverly Earp,” she said, noting the woman’s firm grip. There was a hint of amusement behind her blue eyes, and Waverly wondered what this woman was doing here. 

“I know exactly who you are, Agent Earp,” Agent Grey said, her voice surprisingly quiet but authoritative. “I’ve heard all about you from Detective Haught here,” she said, nodding towards Nicole. 

Waverly stopped breathing. She met brown eyes that were sparkling with mischief and a bit of annoyance. What on earth have I just done? she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lengthy break between posts guys! Busy week with family staying in town, but I'm not that sorry because PLOT TWIST! You're welcome :) I should have at least one more chapter for you before the weekend is over. Hit me up in the comments, and thanks for reading as always! 
> 
> PS - In case you're not familiar, the DEA is the Drug Enforcement Agency.


	10. Unanswered Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly has questions, and Nicole has a decision to make.

Waverly watched Nicole stand and reach across the table to shake Agent Grey’s hand, making eye contact with Waverly as she did so. What the hell is going on here? 

“Good to see you, Grey,” Nicole said, addressing the Special Agent. “Sorry I missed our meet, but as you can see I was otherwise engaged.” 

Agent Grey laughed, and Waverly’s head was spinning. 

“Excuse me,” Waverly cut in. “Can someone please explain to me what is happening?” She pointed at Nicole as she addressed Agent Grey. “You called her Detective Haught. So she’s-“

“A Detective with the NYPD, correct,” Agent Grey interrupted. “I’ve been her DEA handler throughout her time undercover, and you just disrupted an operation three years in the making.” 

Waverly sat down as she processed Grey’s words. Her mind flitted through all of her interactions with Nicole. Nicole handing her a coffee on the sidewalk, their first kiss at Shorty’s, angry brown eyes when Waverly showed up at her apartment, Nicole’s warm hands on her hips as they danced. She looked at Nicole now, feeling as though she was looking at a total stranger. 

“You lied to me,” Waverly said, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. 

Nicole sighed. “No, I did what I had to do to keep my cover in tact. Not that it matters now anyway,” she said. 

“I thought you had been homeless for god’s sake,” Waverly snapped. 

That earned a laugh from Agent Grey, who was now leaning against the wall of the interrogation room watching the interaction between Waverly and Nicole. 

“That was Haught’s idea, and it was brilliant if I do say so myself,” Grey said. “Although if it makes you feel any better, Agent Earp, Nicole technically was homeless for a short time. She insisted on living on the streets for a few weeks in order to make her cover believable to Del Ray. Then all we had to do was orchestrate an attempt on his life that would allow Haught to save him, and she was in. The plan couldn’t have gone better.” 

“Unfortunately I didn’t plan for an overzealous Federal Agent to insert herself into my life, but now here we are,” Nicole gestured to the room around her. 

“Yes, and now that we’re here, we need to talk strategy for how to get you out of here without being killed,” Grey said. 

“No way, I’m going back in,” Nicole said, and Waverly’s eyebrows shot up. The woman was insane if she thought she could go back undercover with Bobo now. 

Agent Grey voiced Waverly’s thoughts. “You can’t go back in, Haught, you know that. Now that you’ve been picked up not once but twice by the Feds, there’s no way he won’t suspect you of being an informant against him. He’s undoubtedly already put a hit out on you.” 

“That meeting is happening with Devaros in two days, and I have to be there in order for us to close this case,” Nicole said. “If we don’t bring Bobo in, everything I’ve done the last three years will have been for nothing.” 

Waverly saw the desperation in Nicole’s eyes. She couldn’t imagine the thought of three years of her life wasted on a mission that no longer had a chance of success. The guilt she felt at bringing Nicole in suddenly made her feel nauseous. 

“Haught, as the lead on this case, what I say goes,” Agent Grey’s tone was firm. “I’m not willing to risk your life for Bobo Del Ray’s. We can still bring him in based on the evidence you’ve collected, it will just be for a lesser charge than if we got him at this potentially huge meet he’s about to have. Either way, he’ll be behind bars.” 

“Not for long enough!” Nicole’s palm smacked the table as she spoke, making Waverly jump in her seat. Nicole and Grey stared each other down, and Waverly sought to break the now palpable tension. 

“Nicole, maybe Grey’s right, we can still charge him for-“ Waverly was interrupted by a raised hand from Nicole. 

“No one’s asking for your opinion, Earp,” she started, her voice cold. “I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?” 

The question was clearly rhetorical, so Waverly remained silent. 

Nicole sighed before addressing her handler. “Look, Grey, it’s late. I need to go home and grab a few things since my apartment will be burned after today, and then I can meet you at the safe house early tomorrow morning. Even if Bobo has already put a hit out on me, you know I can handle myself. From my estimation, I should have a few hours before I need to really be worried. Deal?” 

Grey checked her watch and seemed to do some quick math in her head. “You’ve got 8 hours max, Haught. Get some rest, grab your things, and then meet me at the house. We’ll figure out where to go from there once you arrive.” 

Nicole nodded and stood from her chair, not meeting Waverly’s eyes as she slipped her blazer back on over her shoulders. God the woman could wear a suit, Waverly thought. 

Agent Grey stepped out first, and Nicole made to follow her. Waverly remained in her chair, not knowing if she would ever see Nicole Haught again once she left the room. The pull in her gut at the thought was overwhelming, and Waverly wondered whether Nicole felt a similar feeling in her own. 

Just when Waverly thought Nicole would leave without even a glance her way, Nicole briefly met Waverly’s eyes over her shoulder as she pulled the door open. There were a hundred different emotions behind Nicole’s eyes, but Waverly was only concerned about one of them. She knew what she had to do. 

….

Nicole reached her apartment in record time, keeping to the shadows as she walked briskly down the street, taking a different route than she normally would just in case. She knew how Bobo operated, and she had a little bit of time before shit really hit the fan. 

She let herself through the door quickly, locking the deadbolt behind her and sighing as she leaned back and took a deep breath. The past few hours had been exhausting, and her entire life as she knew it had been upended. Three years of work down the drain, all thanks to Waverly Earp. 

Nicole crossed the loft to her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed, not bothering to remove her suit jacket this time. Waverly Earp and those fucking hazel eyes she could get lost in. Nicole cursed her stupidity. She had handled the situation with Earp all wrong from the beginning. She had let her intrigue with the woman override her intuition, and now she would pay the price. 

A soft knock on her door made Nicole bolt upright. Clearly an assassin sent by Bobo wouldn’t be knocking to warn her of his approach, so Grey must’ve changed her mind on giving Nicole some time to herself. She walked to the door and checked the peephole.

Nicole undid the latch and opened the door quickly, pulling a startled Waverly Earp inside before quickly shutting the door behind her. 

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” she hissed under her breath, taking in Waverly’s wide eyes and windblown hair, the flush on her cheeks from the chilly night air. She looked stunning, and Nicole hated her for it. 

“I have a few questions,” Waverly said, and Nicole’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. 

“You risked both of our lives by coming here so you could ask me a few questions?” Nicole repeated, Waverly’s nod confirming the words. Nicole sighed. “I don’t have time for this, Earp. You heard Grey, I’ve got to be out of here in a few hours.” 

Waverly’s voice was quiet when she spoke again. “I’ll make it easy for you, Haught. I ask a question, you tell me ‘real’ or ‘not real’. Once I get the answers I want, you’ll never see me again. I think you owe me that much.”

Nicole’s eyes roamed over Waverly’s face. She knew she’d live to regret this, but Nicole found herself nodding and gesturing for Waverly to follow her into the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a cupboard and set one in front of Waverly when she was finished pouring. Nicole leaned a hip against the counter and took a long drink from her glass before speaking. 

“Go ahead and ask me,” she said, curious in spite of herself as to what the brunette would want to know. 

“You’re actually from Oklahoma, real or not real?” Waverly asked. 

Of course, Nicole thought. Waverly wanted to know how much of their time together had been a lie, a back story that Nicole had made up to keep her cover. She couldn’t fault the woman for needing some truth after everything. 

“Real,” Nicole answered, and Waverly nodded once. 

“Did your parents really disown you because you’re gay?” she asked next, and Nicole swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. 

“Real,” she said. 

Waverly studied her for a moment before asking her next question. 

“You put Sarah Daniels in the hospital for giving us information about Bobo’s crew. Real or not real?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole’s eyes went wide. Waverly met her gaze calmly, waiting for confirmation of what she already knew. 

“I tried so hard to keep her injuries as minimal as possible,” Nicole began, keeping her eyes on the drink in her hand rather than meeting the judgment she knew must be on Waverly’s face. “Usually the guys Bobo had me rough up for him were scumbags who deserved it, but Sarah was different. She was just trying to do the right thing, and I punished her for it.” Nicole took another long drink from her glass. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, Waverly, but I can’t change any of them now.” 

When Waverly didn’t respond right away, Nicole raised her eyes to study the woman before her. There was a flash of anger there, but she looked at Nicole with pity, too. 

“You grew to respect Bobo, didn’t you?” 

Nicole was surprised by the question, but she had to give credit to Waverly’s instincts. Even as a cop, spending three years in Bobo’s employment had undoubtedly changed her. Bobo had always treated her like family, something Nicole had been missing since early adulthood. 

She met Waverly’s eyes when she answered. “Real.” 

Waverly nodded, seeming as though she had expected Nicole’s response. 

“I think you should go now,” Nicole said. “It’s not safe for you to be here.” 

Waverly studied her for a moment. “Just one more question,” she said. She drained half of the whiskey Nicole had poured her and stepped around the kitchen island so she and Nicole were standing on the same side. 

Nicole gripped her glass tightly and placed her other hand in her pant pocket, watching Waverly warily and trying to keep herself from moving towards the woman. 

“That kiss in front of the bar at the party, before you decked that guy, real or not real?” 

Nicole swallowed, stalling as she swirled the drink in her glass. She needed to lie. 

“Not real,” she answered. She could hear the slight tremble in her own voice, and she knew the second that Waverly detected it, too, shaking her head as she stepped closer to Nicole. 

“I don’t believe you,” Waverly whispered. She was close enough now that Nicole could smell the strawberry scent of her shampoo, see the freckles dusting her nose under gleaming hazel eyes. “You want to try that one again?” she asked. 

Nicole placed her glass on the counter and slid her free hand into her pocket. She stayed quiet, hoping Waverly would accept her silence as confirmation of her previous response. 

“Last chance, Nicole.” Waverly ran a hand down the lapel of Nicole’s blazer, the fabric sliding between her thumb and forefinger as she met Nicole’s eyes. “You want me. Real or not real?” 

Nicole moved quickly, her fingers wrapping around Waverly’s wrist as she flipped their positions, putting Waverly’s back against the counter as Nicole stood in front of her. “Real,” she whispered, before lowering her head to meet the lips she hadn’t been able to get out of her head since their last kiss. 

Nicole felt Waverly tug her wrist free before reaching around her waist to pull her in tighter, their bodies flush as their lips moved together. Waverly’s mouth was all heat, and Nicole sucked in a breath when she felt her shirt being tugged free of her pants. 

Warm hands met skin and moved up her back, and Nicole groaned into Waverly’s mouth, threading her fingers through wavy brown hair and holding Waverly in place as she changed the angle of the kiss. Nicole pushed away all thoughts of doubt and guilt and uncertainty as she lost herself in Waverly, letting emotion and instinct take over as she hadn’t allowed herself in years. 

A push against her chest forced Nicole back, only to have her hand being tugged forward as Waverly led them to Nicole’s bedroom. Waverly dropped Nicole’s hand and let her long coat slide to the floor as she walked, Nicole’s eyes never leaving her back. They might only have one night, but Nicole was going to be sure it was a night neither of them would ever forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry for the long delay guys, but I hope you all dig this chapter and are ready for more! 
> 
> I also just wanted to say thank you all so much for the comments you've left on this work. Believe me when I say I read each and every one and take them to heart. I love getting your feedback and seeing where you want to see this story go, so I hope I'm doing you all justice. <3 
> 
> Should have another one or two chapters up in the next few hours :)


	11. Into the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole makes a choice that will change her and Waverly's lives forever.

It was early when Nicole woke up, her room still shrouded in darkness and shadows. She felt a warmth against her side and remembered the night she and Waverly had shared before finally drifting off to sleep. Her chest felt tight at the sight of her, but Nicole knew she was out of time. 

She slid carefully out of bed, trying not to wake Waverly as she moved around the room gathering her clothes. Nicole opened her closet and crouched in front of a small safe, punching in the code and emptying it of the stacks of cash she had saved. She put on her favorite leather jacket and Raptors hat and tucked her pistol into her waistband, taking a final look around the room before her eyes landed on Waverly’s sleeping form. 

Nicole crouched by the bed and brushed a strand of hair off of Waverly’s face, her steady breathing the only sound in the room. “I’m sorry, Waves,” she whispered, placing a light kiss on Waverly’s cheek before straightening and walking to the door, closing it lightly behind her when she entered the hall. 

Nicole walked quickly down the stairs and out onto the street, the first rays of sunlight just lightening the sky. She took the nearest subway a few stops east over the river, a journey she had made a hundred times by now. By the time she made it to Bobo’s house, it was just shy of 6:00am, but Nicole knew he would be awake. 

She took a deep breath and knocked twice, waiting on the porch as she heard movement from within. The door opened and Bobo was there, an uncharacteristic look of surprise on his face at seeing Nicole. He recovered quickly, opening the door wider for Nicole to enter. 

Nicole walked to the living room before turning to face him. Her cop instincts were screaming as she pulled the gun from her waist and handed it grip first to Bobo, effectively leaving herself defenseless. Nicole had made her choice the moment she had seen Waverly last night, and there was no turning back now.

Bobo raised an eyebrow at her but took the weapon she offered him, placing it on the table beside the couch. He crossed his arms and cocked his head, seeming to consider what to say. 

“I hear you’ve been getting friendly with the Feds,” Bobo began, his voice even as he considered Nicole. 

“Not by choice,” she replied. “But yes, they picked me up yesterday.” 

“And that wasn’t the first time,” Bobo said. His tone didn’t imply a question, and Nicole simply nodded. 

“You must know that I was going to have you killed, so why are you here?” he asked. 

“I’m here to make you a deal,” Nicole said. Bobo gestured for her to continue. “I told the Feds that your meeting with Devaros was happening in two days.” 

Bobo’s eyes widened in surprise. He and Nicole were the only two people in the world who knew that was a lie, for the meeting was actually scheduled to take place that very morning. 

“I want out,” Nicole said. “And I’m trying to give you an out as well, on two conditions.” 

“I’m listening,” Bobo said. 

“We meet with Devaros as planned, but instead of bringing him in as a partner, we relieve him of the money he’s bringing to the table and go our separate ways. You get out of New York, setup shop in a new city, and I’ll do the same. The Feds are too close to you now, and it's only a matter of time before you're brought in.” 

Nicole waited for a sign of what Bobo was thinking. He began pacing around the room, running a hand over his beard as he thought over her proposition. Nicole knew her offer was a good one, and the only chance either of them had to make a clean break and avoid prison. Once the Feds realized what she’d done, there’d be a warrant out for her arrest as well as Bobo’s. 

Bobo finally stopped pacing and turned to face Nicole. “What’s the second condition?”

“You leave town immediately, without sticking around to get revenge on me, the Feds, and whoever else you blame for this turn of events,” Nicole said. 

A slow smile spread across Bobo’s face as he considered her words. Nicole knew he had put the pieces together of who she was trying to protect. 

“Where will you go?” he asked. 

Nicole hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but she heard herself say “Chicago” before she could think too much about it. It was as good a place as any, she supposed. 

“You know I loved you like family, Haught, even if you were playing me this whole time,” Bobo said. 

“I know,” Nicole answered. “There were times when that part felt real to me, too.” 

Bobo nodded once, then picked up the gun from the side table. Nicole held her breath, releasing it on a slow exhale when Bobo handed the weapon back to her. 

“Let’s get this meeting over with then,” Bobo said, clapping a hand on Nicole’s shoulder and grabbing his fur coat from the hook by the door. 

….

Waverly woke up to the harsh glare of sunlight over her face. She stretched her arms overhead and yawned widely, suddenly realizing that she was alone. She placed a hand on the other side of the bed and sighed, realizing the sheets were cold and Nicole must have left hours earlier. 

Memories from the night before rushed through her mind, and Waverly felt herself flush. The feeling of Nicole’s body on hers, the way they moved together, it was pure magic and unlike anything Waverly had ever felt before.

She knew Nicole had had to leave, but she wondered if she had left a note of some kind for her, something to let Waverly know last night had meant something to her, too. Waverly stood from the bed and gathered her clothes, pulling various items on as she walked down the hall. 

She reached the kitchen and checked the counter. Seeing nothing, she checked the front of the fridge, but all she found there were some old takeout menus and a faded photo of the desert. 

Waverly’s phone pinged in her bag by the door, and she went to retrieve it, smiling at the thought of Nicole sending her a text to check in. The smile faded from Waverly’s face as she read the message from an unknown number. 

“Earp, this is Grey. Nicole never made it to the safe house. Have you seen or heard from her?” 

Waverly felt her stomach drop, and she sent a quick reply to the agent. 

The bad feeling creeping into Waverly’s gut worsened when her phone rang, this time signaling a call from Dolls. 

“Hello?” she answered. 

“Earp, we got an anonymous tip. Jose Devaros was found tied up in an abandoned warehouse on the east side, next to an empty armored car and ranting about being set up by Bobo Del Ray. We need to get over there and check the scene.” 

Waverly gripped the phone tighter in her hand, the feeling of nausea settling in her gut like a lead weight. 

“I’ll be right there.” She hung up and leaned against the counter in Nicole’s kitchen, breathing deeply to keep her emotions in check. We don’t know anything until we check the scene, she thought, saying the words over and over to herself as she walked out of the building and got into her car.

She drove the few miles to the location Dolls had sent, seeing his car parked out front as she approached the dilapidated building. Waverly entered through a side door and found Dolls crouched by an armored car, the only thing in the giant warehouse other than some empty shelving units and a few old tools. 

“Find anything useful?” she asked as she approached. 

Dolls turned to her with an undecipherable look on his face. 

“Maybe,” he said, handing her a white envelope that had Waverly’s name written on the front in neat script. 

She took the envelope in surprise, her heart beating frantically in her chest as she pulled the single slip of paper out. 

Waverly read over the words a few times before meeting her partner’s questioning eyes. 

“Fucking Nicole Haught,” she said quietly, shaking her head as she read the words once more. 

‘May we meet again.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...that happened. Hope you all were as surprised as I am by the direction this story is taking! Don't worry, this one is far from over :) 
> 
> There will be a time jump prior to the next chapter, I'll fill you in on exactly how long has passed at the beginning of the next one. I decided to keep this all as one fic instead of splitting it into a second, separate part. Until then, thanks for sticking with me, and I can't wait to hear y'all's thoughts on this one! 
> 
> PS: I had to give a nod to Clexa at the end there - I love that line even if it was total BS that they killed Lexa off. #NotOverIt
> 
> See you all in the next chapters <3


	12. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has started a new life for herself in Chicago, and Waverly has decided to track down a long lost relative.

Nicole knocked twice, bouncing on her toes as she waited in the alley. The adrenaline she got from successfully completing another job never got old. 

The door finally opened, allowing her entrance to the cool, dark storage room at the back of the gallery. The blow of the air conditioner brought goosebumps to Nicole’s overheated skin. Chicago in the summertime was no joke, and Nicole had sweat her ass off on tonight’s job. 

“Took you long enough,” Nicole said, meeting familiar hazel eyes as she lifted the strap of the oblong plastic case over her shoulder. 

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Red,” Wynonna replied, holding a hand out for the case Nicole had brought. “I was busy.” 

“Busy doing what, stuffing your face with wontons? Or are you and Doc on again?” Nicole asked, quirking a brow at Wynonna’s disheveled brown hair and unbuttoned shirt. 

“Bite me, Taterhaught,” Wynonna said, but Nicole didn’t miss the smirk behind the words. Doc it is, she thought. 

Wynonna unscrewed the lid of the case and carefully pulled out the canvas, carrying the painting over to a sterile metal table and flipping the light on overhead. Nicole watched Wynonna’s eyes rake over the artwork, a genuine smile gracing her lips as she took it in. 

Although she would deny it, Wynonna had a true passion for the art the two of them collected, by both legal and illegal means, and Nicole got great satisfaction out of bringing a small semblance of joy into Wynonna’s life, however brief it may be. 

Nicole’s mind flashed back to an almost identical smile and pair of hazel eyes that she’d left in New York 18 months ago, and she shook her head to dispel the unwanted memories. Working with Wynonna had its challenges, not the least of which was how similar she looked to her younger sister, Waverly. 

It was pure chance that Nicole and Wynonna had met, but a quick partnership had blossomed once they realized they shared a similar skill set and penchant for sarcasm. When Nicole had realized who Wynonna was, she had considered ditching Chicago and making her new home somewhere else, but it was clear to her that the Earp sisters had long since lost contact with one another. Plus, Nicole liked Wynonna, not that she would ever say so to her face; she felt a kinship with the woman that she hadn’t felt since some of her last months with Bobo’s crew, so in the end Nicole had decided to stay. 

“I’ve got a buyer already lined up for this one.” Wynonna’s voice interrupted Nicole’s thoughts. “He should be by tomorrow night, and then I’ll wire you your cut.” 

Nicole nodded, unzipping the lightweight black sweatshirt she had been wearing despite the summer heat. “Shae and I are going out of town for the long weekend, but we can talk about the next target when I get back,” Nicole said. 

“Sounds good. Try not to drown out there at sea, I hear redheads can’t swim,” Wynonna said. 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “That’s not a thing,” she said. 

“You sure?” Wynonna asked. “I swear I read about that in O Magazine.” 

Nicole laughed and shook her head. “Don’t pretend you know how to read, Earp,” she said, pushing open the door to the alley. “I’ll see you in a few days.” 

….

Waverly parked her Jeep by the curb when she saw a welcome ‘open’ sign glowing from a café window. She’d been driving for hours, only stopping for quick restroom breaks and iced soy lattes when she happened across a Starbucks. She rotated her neck a few times, relieving some of the stiffness before climbing out of the car, the summer air surprisingly thick considering how early it was. 

She slid into a booth in the mostly empty restaurant, smiling gratefully as a woman in her late 40s approached the table with a steaming pot of coffee in hand. 

“What can I get you, dear?” the woman asked, pouring Waverly a full mug of coffee before sliding a notepad out of her back pocket and a pencil from behind her ear. 

Waverly didn’t even glance at the menu. “Do you have French toast?” she asked, adding sugar to her coffee before taking a sip. She didn’t bother asking the woman if they had any soymilk on hand. 

“Sure do,” the woman answered. “Do you want strawberries and whipped cream on that?” she asked. 

Waverly nodded. “Could you also add some chocolate syrup please?” 

The woman nodded and jotted down Waverly’s request with a smile. “That’ll be right up,” she said, making her way towards the kitchen with Waverly’s order. 

Waverly sat back in the booth and pulled out her phone. She opened her internet browser and pulled up her most recent search. The Homestead art gallery was just around the corner from the café, and Waverly intended to be there when it opened. 

She sipped her coffee and stared out the window as the city slowly roused itself awake. A few early morning joggers ran by, some with dogs running alongside them happily. Waverly wondered for the thousandth time whether or not she was making a huge mistake. 

Waverly had decided to track down her sister after news had reached her that their favorite uncle had passed away. She had tried to reach out to Wynonna a few times over the past few months, and getting nothing but continued silence from her last living relative had been infuriating. Waverly had finally used her resources as a private investigator to do what she should’ve done a long time ago, track down her sister and insist they meet face to face for the first time in years. 

After the Del Ray case fell apart, Waverly had decided to leave the FBI and take a much-needed break. Part of her had needed to get over the loss of such a giant potential bust, but the other part had needed to work through her feelings for a certain redhead who had disappeared into the wind as seamlessly as Del Ray had. Bobo’s sudden absence caused the Revenants to scatter into chaos, allowing Dolls and Waverly to arrest those they could round up along with Jose Devaros, the infamous drug dealer from up north whom Bobo and Nicole had robbed and left for the FBI to find. 

And then there was Nicole’s note, which made Waverly furious and heartsick every time she thought of the neatly written words. “May we meet again, my ass,” she muttered under her breath, just as the waitress returned with her plate of French toast. 

“I’m sorry, did you say something, dear?” the woman asked, placing the plate in front of Waverly. 

“No, ma’am, this looks delicious thank you,” Waverly said smoothly, taking in the plate covered in fresh berries and whipped cream. She flashed back to watching her mother make French toast in their kitchen when she was no more than six years old, and she remembered sharing that memory with Nicole over coffee in her apartment back in New York. Leave the past in the past where it belongs, Waves, she thought. 

Waverly dug into her breakfast, humming happily at the familiar taste of chocolate and strawberries on her tongue. She’d enjoy her few minutes of calm, and then she’d worry about her sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! This picks up 18 months after the last chapter (in case you missed that mention in the story), and we will see what misadventures unfold here in the Windy City :) 
> 
> I'm going to mix in a bit of Wynonna's POV throughout this next bit, so feel free to give me your feedback on that as well. Wynonna + Nicole's bromance is one of my favorite things to write, so there will be a good deal of that to come. 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading and commenting <3


	13. Introductions, Round 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly is pissed, Nicole is shocked, and Wynonna is clueless.

Wynonna heard the front door bell chime from her office in the back of the gallery. She glanced at her watch in surprise, not expecting Haught to show up so early the day after her vacation ended. 

“I’m back here!” she yelled, hoping her voice carried enough for Nicole to hear her. 

Wynonna looked up when a shadow fell across her desk, her mouth dropping open in surprise when she saw who was standing in her office. 

“Well I’ll be goddamned,” Wynonna said, standing from her desk as a smile spread across her face. “What the hell are you doing here, baby girl?” 

Hazel eyes narrowed at her as Wynonna took in her little sister’s appearance. Waverly was as skinny as ever, her long brown hair twisted into a braid that fell over one shoulder, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive stance Wynonna hadn’t seen since before she had left town years ago. She looked exactly as Wynonna remembered her. And she was pissed. 

“Don’t baby girl me, Wynonna. I haven’t seen you in six years, and I’m not a baby anymore,” Waverly said, her voice shaking with emotion or rage, Wynonna couldn’t tell which. 

Wynonna walked around the desk and sat on the edge, having enough sense to look ashamed at Waverly’s words. “Waves, I know it’s been a long time, much longer than it should’ve been, but you’re here now, that’s what matters,” Wynonna said, and Waverly seemed to soften slightly. 

“I’ve done nothing but hate you for years, Nonna,” Waverly said quietly. “And now here you are, looking the same as you did back then, and you’re running a fucking art gallery?” Waverly laughed and shook her head. “Times certainly have changed,” she said. 

“Yes they have,” Wynonna said, seeming lost in thought for a moment. “What brings you to Chicago? Last I heard you were some hotshot FBI agent in the city. Don’t tell me they fired you after you let Del Ray escape,” Wynonna said. 

The shock was plain on Waverly’s face. Clearly she hadn’t expected Wynonna to keep tabs on her while she was away. 

“No they didn’t fire me, I quit actually,” Waverly replied. “How do you even know about all of that?” Waverly asked. 

Wynonna shrugged. “I’ve got ears everywhere baby girl, kind of have to in my line of work.” 

Waverly raised an eyebrow and glanced around the gallery. “You mean the art business?” she sounded confused, and Wynonna cleared her throat. 

“Exactly, the art business is no joke, Waves. I’ve gotta keep tabs on my competition all over the country,” Wynonna answered. 

Waverly stared her down, and Wynonna broke their eye contact first. 

“You’re dealing under the table, aren’t you?” Waverly asked. Wynonna didn’t respond, and Waverly shook her head. “I fucking knew it, there’s no way you’re just running a legit business out here and doing so well for yourself. It’s always something with you isn’t it, Nonna?” 

“How do you know how well I’m doing for myself?” Wynonna asked, and Waverly just scoffed. 

“Please, I’m a former FBI agent and a private investigator. You think I didn’t notice the fancy little Audi you’ve got parked around back?” Waverly asked, her tone laced with contempt. “Not to mention the large safe you’ve got behind your desk. You in the habit of accepting payment for your art in lump sums of cash?” 

Wynonna sighed and folded her arms. “Listen, little sister, the less you know about it the better. All I’ll say is that the only thing I’m selling around here is art, and that’s all you need to know. Now are you here to bust me for my less than legal dealings, or was there another reason you came all the way out to Chicago?” 

Waverly debated whether or not to share the news, but she hadn’t come all this way for nothing. 

“Uncle Curtis passed away,” she said bluntly, and Wynonna caught her breath at the words. She and Waverly had spent most of their youth with their aunt and uncle, but Wynonna had cut off all contact with them around the same time she left Waverly alone in New York. The news hit her hard, and Wynonna fought the sudden lump in her throat as she met Waverly’s eyes. 

“How did it happen?” she asked thickly, noting the look of pity in Waverly’s eyes at her sudden show of emotion. 

“Heart attack,” Waverly said, and Wynonna just nodded. 

“Curtis always did love his fried food and butter,” Wynonna laughed weakly, remembering the fried chicken he would always cook for them when they were younger. 

Waverly laughed with her, smiling sadly. “Yeah, he really did.” 

Wynonna was thoughtful for a minute before standing from the desk. “Well, since you came all this way, let’s go get some lunch and catch up,” she said, noting the look of surprise on Waverly’s face. “I’ve got to make a quick call, and then we can go.” 

Wynonna pulled a phone from her back pocket and dialed, waiting for an answer before speaking. 

“Hey, Nick, something’s come up. Can we meet at 2 instead?” 

Wynonna listened, her eyes on Waverly as she nodded. 

“Great, see you then. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and surprised both Waverly and herself when she pulled her younger sister into a quick hug. 

“It’s good to see you, Waves,” she said, stepping back quickly and leading the way out of the gallery, locking the front door behind them as the midday sun beat down on the sidewalk. 

First Nicole brought her a highly valuable piece of art, and now her little sister was in town for a surprise visit. This was shaping up to be a great Memorial Day weekend, Wynonna thought. 

….

Nicole hung up the phone and crawled back into bed, having nowhere to be for another two hours since Wynonna had delayed their meeting. The news wasn’t unwelcome, as Nicole was still feeling the contented exhaustion brought about by the sun and the salt water over the holiday weekend. She and Shae had spent three straight days on Shae’s parents’ boat, floating on Lake Michigan from sun up to sun down and alternating between swimming, tanning, and making out under the stars. 

Nicole nuzzled into Shae’s sleeping back and threw an arm over her waist, quickly falling back into sleep before being awakened by a loud chime from her phone. 

She rolled over to glance at the screen, cursing when she noticed the time said 2:05pm. 

“Everything ok, baby?” Shae asked from beside her, yawning widely and blinking sleep out of her eyes. 

“All good,” Nicole said, placing a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m just running late for a meeting. I’ll text you later.” 

Nicole climbed out of bed and walked into Shae’s massive closet, thankful she had decided to leave some clothes here in case of emergency. She pulled on a pair of cutoff shorts and an Oklahoma Sooners t-shirt. One of the best things about being self-employed - no dress code, she thought, running a hand through her tousled hair and calling it good. 

She grabbed her aviator sunglasses from the counter and made her way out the door. Luckily, Wynonna’s gallery was just a few blocks up town, so Nicole opted to walk the short distance rather than wait for a cab. 

As Nicole approached The Homestead, she saw Wynonna talking to someone out front. The woman’s back was to Nicole, so all she could make out was braided brown hair and legs for days under a pair of tight black denim shorts. Maybe this woman was a perspective buyer, Nicole thought, as she closed the gap between herself and the gallery. 

Nicole slowed her pace in surprise as she watched the woman stand on her tiptoes and pull Wynonna into a hug, a matching look of surprise crossing Wynonna’s face at the sudden move. She had never seen Wynonna Earp hug anyone in the entire time she’d known her, so who the hell was this woman? 

Wynonna met her eyes over the stranger’s shoulder, and Nicole saw a look of recognition and gratitude pass over her face as she untangled herself from the woman’s embrace. 

“Nic, about time you showed up!” Wynonna called. 

Nicole rolled her eyes and glanced at her phone. “It’s 2:12, Earp. Don’t act like you’ve got anything better to do,” she responded with a smirk. “Who’s your friend?” Nicole asked, coming to a stop behind the woman who still had her back to her. 

“Oh right, Nicole, this is my baby sister, Waverly. Waves, this is Nicole, the broker I was telling you about,” Wynonna finished. 

Nicole slid the sunglasses off of her face as Waverly turned around, and wide hazel eyes met brown ones for the first time in a year and a half. Nicole just stared, the last 18 months flashing before her eyes as she thought back to the last time she had seen Waverly, wrapped up in her bed sheets and sleeping peacefully in her apartment. Before she had left her, never expecting to see her again. 

Waverly broke the silence, and Nicole snapped out of the trance she had been in for the past few moments. 

“Haught,” Waverly said, her tone clipped as her eyes darted between Nicole’s, confusion and hurt and anger all clear as daylight in her eyes. 

“Earp,” Nicole responded, thankful she was able to get the word out around her sudden inability to breathe properly. 

“Wait a second,” Wynonna interrupted, pointing back and forth between her sister and business partner. “You two know each other?” 

Waverly shook her head. “Actually, we don’t know a thing about each other,” she replied. Wynonna looked more confused then ever. 

“Waves, I can explain everything,” Nicole started, but Waverly cut her off with a raised hand. 

“Save it for someone who’s buying your bullshit,” she said, then turned on her heel and walked away from the gallery. 

Wynonna whistled under her breath before facing Nicole again. “I have a feeling there’s a great story there. We better get the booze,” she said, heading into the gallery. 

Nicole stood watching Waverly walk away from her down the street, finally turning around a corner and disappearing from sight. It was quite a story, she thought, finally following Wynonna inside. She hoped she had tequila.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in one day, because inspiration has struck and I love you all! 
> 
> Hope you all like it. Buckle your seatbelts for what's next!
> 
> <3


	14. Recaps & Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Wynonna have a heart to heart.

It had taken Waverly 3 hours to finally respond to Wynonna’s text asking where she’d gone. “Stubborn as a mule, that one,” Wynonna muttered to herself, grabbing her keys and heading out the back door and into her waiting car. 

Nicole had left a while ago, Wynonna having forced the very drunk redhead into a cab even though she only lived a few blocks away from the gallery. Wynonna shook her head as she drove to the park Waverly had mentioned, knowing the place well. 

The story Nicole had told about her past and her connection to Waverly was so insane it was impossible not to believe. Now Wynonna needed to piece things together from Waverly’s point of view. She pulled into the small parking lot and scanned the area, spotting her sister almost immediately on a park bench overlooking a large dog park. Waverly had loved animals ever since they were kids, so it didn’t surprise Wynonna that she had been drawn to this spot in the city. 

She sat on the bench beside Waverly but said nothing, her eyes following a feisty little Corgi who was chasing happily after a Golden Retriever. A small sniffle to her right pulled Wynonna’s attention away from the playing dogs below. Tear tracks ran down Waverly’s face, and although she was being quiet, Wynonna could see from the stiffness of her shoulders and the hands clenched in her lap that her sister was barely holding it together. 

“It’s just me, Waves. I’m still your sister, even though I might not have done a very good job of it the last few years,” Wynonna said quietly. 

The breakdown was instantaneous at her words, a sob erupting from Waverly’s lips as she leaned her head on Wynonna’s shoulder and cried openly. Wynonna held Waverly’s hand and let her cry it out, knowing Waverly would get it out of her system and calm down when she was ready. She could wait, she owed her sister that much after everything. 

….

Waverly didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun had shifted lower in the sky as she sat crying into her sister’s shoulder. Her very damp shoulder, now that she thought about it. Waverly lifted her head and let go of Wynonna’s hand so she could wipe the tears from her face and the long bangs out of her eyes. She let out a deep breath and shook herself before meeting Wynonna’s eyes. 

“Bet you’re glad you came, huh?” Waverly said. “I’m a mess, I’m sorry.” 

“Hey now,” Wynonna shook her head, “you’re my mess, and that doesn’t change no matter how much time has passed. You hear me?” 

Waverly looked into deep hazel eyes that matched her own, and she felt the anger she had held onto for so long dissolve. This was her sister, and after all of the heartache they had shared as kids, they really were all they had left of their family. 

“I hear you,” Waverly said with a nod, turning her gaze back to the dogs and letting out a deep sigh. 

“Why don’t you fill me in on what happened in New York and why you’re here now,” Wynonna stated. 

“I’m sure Nicole already told you,” Waverly said, her voice hard and flat even to her own ears. 

“Yes, Red told me her side of things, but you’re my sister and I want to know yours.” 

“Fine,” Waverly responded. “Where do you want me to start?” 

Wynonna thought for a moment. “Well, Nic told me about her being an undercover cop, then turning on the DEA and fleeing the city after helping Bobo escape, but then she came here for a fresh start and knew nothing about what happened to you. So start from the end of the Del Ray case.” 

Waverly’s mind flitted back to the day she and Dolls found Jose Devaros tied up in a warehouse, and the note Nicole had left that had done nothing but torment her for over a year. 

“Well, once Del Ray and Nicole skipped town, we had nothing to go on. Devaros was a good arrest but useless as to the whereabouts of our fugitives. We had no more case to pursue with Bobo gone. The remaining Revenants descended into chaos without his leadership, so we rounded up as many of them as we could and put them behind bars. Of course, none of them had any insight to Bobo’s whereabouts. The woman who knew him best had disappeared right alongside him.” 

Waverly paused, reliving the frustration and exhaustion she had felt knowing her biggest case had gone up in smoke at the loss of Del Ray and Haught. She had been so angry, so unlike herself, and then consumed with sadness due to the loss of a woman she had never really known. She had been lost at sea with no shore in sight, and she had needed a change. 

“After all the dust had settled, I needed a break. I wasn’t happy at the Bureau anymore, something was missing, so I decided to quit and try to figure out my next move,” Waverly explained. “I ended up starting to work as a P.I., and then when Uncle Curtis died I knew I needed to come find you.”

Wynonna looked thoughtful for a minute. “What do you mean something was missing?” 

“I’m not exactly sure,” Waverly said, trying to piece together her thoughts and emotions from that time. “I just didn’t feel like I belonged at the FBI anymore, even my partner could tell I was off. I just needed to find my purpose again I guess.” 

“You mean you needed to find Nicole,” Wynonna said quietly, and Waverly snapped her eyes to her sister’s face. 

“Nicole ruined my life,” Waverly said, feeling her face flush with the anger she’d been harboring for months. “Before her, I knew exactly who I was, what I was doing with my life. I was making a difference, I was getting bad people off the streets. I got too close to her, I tried to help her, and she ruined everything.”

Wynonna’s gaze was back on the dog park when she spoke. “You loved her.” Waverly said nothing, shocked into silence at her sister’s words. “You felt like you couldn’t stay at the FBI because you were in love with a criminal, so you left. And now, somehow you’ve stumbled across each other again.” Wynonna laughed suddenly, meeting Waverly’s eyes. “I mean what are the odds of that, right? That’s either some really bad karma or the hands of fate at work, baby girl.” 

Waverly shook her head and stood up from the bench, throwing her purse over her shoulder. “I wasn’t in love with Nicole Haught,” she said, clenching her jaw as she stepped away from her sister. 

“Well, she was in love with you.” 

The words were spoken so quietly Waverly almost didn’t hear them. Her stride faltered but she kept moving, Wynonna’s words on repeat in her mind as she walked the few blocks to the Airbnb she had found to stay in for the night. 

“She was in love with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me! Your comments have been so awesome to read over the last few weeks, and I am back! Hope you guys like this one, and we'll see what plot twists are in store for our fave Wayhaught couple next! <3


	15. Ulterior Motives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole wants to leave town, but Wynonna needs her to stick around for more reasons than one.

“I think I need to leave town.” 

Wynonna finished jotting down the numbers for her last sale before raising her eyes to see a frazzled, highly-caffeinated Nicole pacing in front of her desk. The redhead had an extra large coffee in hand and looked like she could start bouncing off the walls at any moment. Wynonna squeezed the bridge of her nose before sighing and standing up, walking around the desk so she could lean back against it and face Nicole. 

“Listen Red, why don’t you hand me the coffee and take a seat? Let’s talk about this like rational adults.” Wynonna gestured for the coffee cup and Nicole waved her off, taking another sip and continuing to pace. 

“Haughtpants, if you don’t sit down right now I’m gonna get my taser, and you know I don’t make idle threats.” 

Nicole shot her a glare but begrudgingly handed over the coffee, slumping into the seat across from Wynonna’s desk with a sigh, one foot immediately tapping against the concrete floor. 

“Good,” Wynonna said, taking a sip of the coffee with a wink before continuing. “Now then, why would you all of a sudden pack up and leave Chicago when we’ve got a good thing going here?” she asked calmly, waiting to see what bullshit excuse Nicole would come up with, knowing full well the real reason was about 5’4” with long brown hair. 

Nicole ran a hand through her hair. “Look, Earp, I think we’ve done some great work together, there’s no denying that. But with the warrant out for my arrest you know I can’t stay in one place too long. I’ve been here for a year and a half now, it’s time to start over somewhere new, keep the Feds guessing as to where I could turn up next, you know? It’s not safe for me to stay here.” 

“So you’re telling me this has nothing to do with my baby sister turning up here and giving you a bit of a shock?” Wynonna asked. “You just decided that now was a good time to leave town due to other extenuating circumstances?” 

“Exactly,” Nicole said with a nod, looking relieved that Wynonna was on the same page.

“What about Shae?” Wynonna asked. She could tell she had surprised Nicole with the question. 

“What about her?” Nicole asked, looking confused. 

“Well, she’s your girlfriend, is she not? Don’t you think she might want some kind of say in you leaving town?” 

Nicole seemed to consider her answer before speaking. “Shae is always up for a new adventure, hell she’s already followed me here from New York when we weren’t even that serious. She’s living on her parents’ dime and doesn’t have a responsibility in the world, she’ll fully support the idea of moving somewhere new.” 

Nicole looked pleased with her response, and Wynonna fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew Nicole didn’t give a fuck about Shae Pressman. Shae was her ticket in to Chicago’s high society, and she unknowingly gave Nicole all the access she needed to rich art collectors’ homes. It was a relationship of convenience, and everyone except Shae seemed to know that. 

Wynonna had to tread lightly here. She needed Nicole to stay in the city, but she knew she couldn’t push too hard. The two of them really were a great team, and although she hated to admit it, Wynonna trusted Nicole. Their partnership, combined with the fact that she knew how Nicole and her sister felt about each other, made it impossible for Wynonna to let Nicole skip town now. She needed to stall her. 

“Maybe you’re right,” Wynonna began, weighing her words carefully as the spoke. “Shae probably would be up for another adventure, and it could be dangerous for you to stay in one place forever. But you’re my partner, and if you leave it affects me, too. So maybe we can compromise on this?” 

Nicole nodded to indicate she was listening. 

“Why don’t you stay for 6 more months? We can use that time to acquire a few final pieces and broker a few more deals, and then we can part ways having both come out ahead with a huge chunk of cash. You can use that time to plan your next destination and figure out what’s next for you and Shae, that way you won’t be running off full tilt without knowing where you’re going to sleep tonight. It’s a win-win,” Wynonna finished, knowing her argument was foolproof. 

“What about Waverly?” Nicole asked. 

Shit. Foolproof except for that, Wynonna thought. 

“You think she’s just going to be cool with me being here, working with you, and not turn me in to the cops or the Feds or whoever else she still has connections to? She’s a private investigator for god’s sake, Wynonna.” The panic was creeping into Nicole’s eyes again, but it was the hint of something else at the mention of her sister’s name that reassured Wynonna this plan would work. 

“Waverly’s a big girl, Nicole, she won’t turn you in out of spite for whatever past you two have together. She’s not a Fed anymore, so you’re not her problem. She’s a P.I., so unless someone hires her specifically to hunt you down, I think you’re safe. Trust me on this.” 

Nicole looked skeptical but seemed to realize she had no better option. 

“Fine. But if I get any indication that I’m in danger here, I’m out, no questions asked. Deal?” Nicole stuck out her hand, and Wynonna shook it once. 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys as always for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments :)


	16. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna drags Waverly to a party, and she meets Shae for the first time.

Three days had passed since Waverly had gotten to Chicago. She was still staying at the same Airbnb, but she needed to get a cheaper place if she was going to stick around. She had been weighing her options for days and still hadn’t decided on what her next move should be. Most days she was leaning towards going back to New York, but every once in a while she caught herself wondering what a life in Chicago could look like for her. 

She could get to know her sister again, maybe they could even be as close as they were when they were kids. Waverly was a P.I. now so in reality she could work from anywhere, set her own hours, work the jobs she wanted to work. If she was honest with herself, there really wasn’t anyone or anything tying her to New York. Not anymore. 

Waverly’s thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing across the room. She slid it off the kitchen counter on the third ring, unsurprised to see it was Wynonna calling. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey sis, you wanna go to a party?” Wynonna sounded excited, and Waverly was instantly suspicious. 

“Since when do you go to parties?” Waverly asked, tucking the phone between her shoulder and her ear so she could look at her watch. It was 7:45pm on a Friday. 

“Since I became cool and rich,” Wynonna quipped back. “It’ll be fun, it’s black tie so it’s all fancy clothes and expensive champagne, you’ll love it.” 

Waverly debated. She did love to get dressed up, and the last time she had been to a black tie event had been…never. She was in, but there was one problem. 

“I have nothing to wear though,” she said, glancing at the small suitcase she had brought that contained most of her belongings, a ball gown not being one of them. 

“Not to worry little sister, come by my place and I’ll hook you up,” Wynonna said. “And make it fast, I don’t want to miss out on any time messing with these uppity rich folks!” 

The line clicked, and Waverly realized Wynonna had hung up before she could change her mind. I guess we’re going to a party, she thought. 

….

She felt ungrateful thinking it, but Nicole was bored. Shae had “surprised” her with this black tie party for her 29th birthday, even though Nicole had insisted she didn’t want to make a big thing of it this year, so she now found herself stuck at this stuffy old hotel downtown surrounded by people Shae and her rich family wanted to impress. It was all so…cliché, Nicole thought, sipping her champagne and sighing as she surveyed the crowd. 

Wynonna had promised Nicole she would be there to alleviate the awkwardness Nicole always felt in these crowds, but so far she was nowhere to be seen. She fidgeted with the skinny black tie at her neck, tugging the knot a bit looser in an attempt to make breathing easier. Nicole hated getting dressed up, but she had opted for a clean, tailored black suit with a white button-down shirt and tie for the occasion, her hair pulled back into a simple but sleek bun. 

She caught Shae’s eye across the room, giving her a small smile in response to the wink Shae gave her. Where the hell is Wynonna? Nicole thought. A small ruckus had broken out near the entrance to the ballroom the party was being held in, and Nicole directed her attention that way when she heard a familiar voice. 

“Get your hands off me, Junior, I can take off a jacket by myself. Time’s up and all that, am I right?” Wynonna looked for a sign of agreement from the woman next to her, but her face was hidden in what must have been mortification at the scene she was causing. Nicole snickered into her glass. 

The woman uncovered her face and Nicole froze. 

“Can you please point us in the direction of the bar, sir?” The doorman gestured towards where Nicole was standing, and Waverly stiffened when her gaze landed on Nicole. 

Nicole’s mind flashed back to the Revenant party she had attended with Waverly almost two years prior, the two of them holding hands and dancing in the crowded bar to put on a convincing show for Bobo Del Ray. Waverly had been wearing that crop top that made Nicole weak in the knees, but it had nothing on what the woman was wearing now. 

She gulped the rest of her champagne down to keep her eyes off the deep navy blue, form fitting gown Waverly was now wearing, her long brown hair swept over one shoulder in thick waves. She looked stunning, and the uncomfortable pang in Nicole’s chest was an unwanted reminder of her feelings. Very old feelings, she thought, turning to get the bartender’s attention as Waverly and Wynonna approached. 

“Two whiskeys and a vodka tonic please,” Nicole ordered, just as Wynonna plopped onto the stool next to where she was standing. 

“Aw that’s sweet of you, Red. But what are you two gonna have?” Wynonna asked, pulling all 3 drinks towards her as the bartender placed them on the counter. 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “One more whiskey and a vodka tonic please,” she spoke again, the bartender nodding before giving Wynonna an apprehensive glance.

Waverly was standing on the other side of her sister, and Nicole tried to keep herself from glancing her way every few seconds. Damn Wynonna for making this night even more awkward. 

Wynonna downed one glass of whiskey and put the glass down with a loud clink on the marble counter. The bartender placed the two drinks in front of Nicole, and she picked up the whiskey while sliding the vodka tonic in front of Wynonna towards Waverly. She watched Waverly’s eyes move to the glass before meeting her gaze with a look of surprise. 

Thankfully Wynonna nudged the vodka closer to her sister before picking up the second glass of whiskey. “I’d like to propose a toast,” she said, nodding towards Waverly so she would pick up the glass in front of her. “To my baby sister, who I haven’t seen in years but is the only family I’ve got left. I’ll always love you Waves, no matter where this crazy life may take us.” She clinked her glass with a blushing Waverly and then Nicole, Nicole following suit without meeting Waverly’s eyes when their glasses touched. 

“Secondly, I want to propose a toast to Haughtshot here, who has turned out to be the best business partner a woman could ask for. Happy birthday, Nic, and may 29 be the best year yet,” Wynonna finished, clinking Nicole’s glass again before downing the rest of her whiskey. 

Waverly looked surprised, and Nicole realized she must not have known the occasion for the party. “I would have invited both of you if I’d known you would’ve come,” Nicole said quietly, directing her words at Waverly. “Although, technically this was a surprise party, so I wasn’t really in charge of the guest list,” she finished with a shrug. 

“Honey!” 

Oh shit. Nicole closed her eyes, praying to god that Shae wasn’t walking over at that exact moment. She reopened her eyes when she felt warm lips against her cheek, her gaze meeting stormy hazel eyes that had narrowed noticeably at Shae’s arrival.  
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Senator Markam wanted to meet you before he and his wife have to leave,” Shae said, seeming oblivious to the conversation she had just interrupted. 

“Hi there, Shae,” Wynonna said, “such a pleasure as always.” Nicole hoped Shae didn’t notice the sarcasm in her tone that was so obvious to her own ears. “Bangin’ party, a real rager,” Wynonna continued, winking at Nicole before Shae turned her way. 

“Ah, hello Wynonna, I didn’t know you were coming,” Shae said with a fake smile, slipping an arm behind Nicole’s back as she leaned into her side. 

“That’s probably because you didn’t invite me, but I’m sure you just forgot due to your busy schedule and very demanding job,” Wynonna deadpanned, and Nicole shot her a look of warning. 

Nicole knew Wynonna and Shae hated each other, but luckily the three of them didn’t find themselves in the same place often. Tonight was one of the exceptions, and she needed Wynonna to be civil or she was in for at least an hour of listening to Shae complain about her unruly behavior when the party was over. 

Shae ignored Wynonna’s comment, seeming to notice Waverly for the first time. “And who’s your guest?” Shae asked. 

“This is my baby sister, Waverly,” Wynonna said, leaning back on her stool so Waverly could reach in front of her to shake Shae’s hand. “She’s visiting from New York.” 

“Oh really?” Shae asked. “Nicole and I were living in Manhattan before we moved up here. What a small world.” 

You have no idea, Nicole thought, sipping her whiskey and watching the exchange before her with a mixture of discomfort and intrigue. 

“It’s even smaller than you think,” Wynonna continued. “Waves and Nicole actually knew each other back in New York, isn’t that right, sis?” 

Waverly cleared her throat and met Nicole’s eyes briefly before addressing Shae. “Yes, we met a few times. We used to run in the same circles,” Waverly said. 

“Is that right?” Shae asked, directing the question to Nicole who nodded once. “I don’t remember you mentioning a Waverly Earp, and I think I would’ve remembered such a unique name.” 

Nicole chose her words carefully, knowing where Shae was going with that line of questioning. “I had no reason to mention her, we just ran into each other a few times thanks to mutual work friends, that’s all.” Nicole knew the words were enough to appease Shae for now, but the hard glance she got from the youngest Earp made her regret her wording immediately, not that telling Shae the truth was an option. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” Waverly said suddenly. “It was nice meeting you, Shae.” She gave the group a tight smile before heading towards the double doors that led out of the ballroom and into the outer hallway. 

Nicole threw back the rest of her drink and placed her glass on the counter. “I actually have to go, too. Why don’t you go find the Senator, and I’ll meet you by the exit in five to thank him and his wife for coming,” Nicole said, hoping the suggestion would be enough to distract Shae from the fact that she was leaving to follow Waverly. 

“Ok dear, I’ll let him know. Always nice to see you Wynonna,” Shae said, disappearing back into the crowd. 

“Likewise, string bean,” Wynonna muttered. 

“Don’t start, Wyn,” Nicole said, her eyes tracking the hem of Waverly’s dress as she swept out of the room. 

“Didn’t you have somewhere you needed to be?” Wynonna remarked. “I reckon you’ve got about four minutes before that girlfriend of yours sends out the search party.” 

“Bite me,” Nicole said, pushing away from the bar and following Waverly’s path out of the ballroom. 

The hotel’s restrooms were nicer than some of Nicole’s past apartments, and bigger too she noted as she pushed the gilded gold door open with her shoulder. It opened into a sitting room of sorts, with the actual stalls and sinks around the corner from the entrance. 

Nicole rounded the corner and stopped when she saw Waverly, her upper and middle back exposed by the deep V of her dress, her shoulders taut as she leaned against the sink with both palms flat on the counter. She was staring into the mirror, but she spun around when her eyes met Nicole’s over her shoulder.

“Are you ok?” Nicole asked. The question was a stupid one, and the humorless laugh that escaped Waverly’s lips confirmed it. 

“Sure, Nicole, I’m fine,” Waverly answered, turning back to face the sink as she turned the water on. She went through the motions of slowly washing and drying her hands, and Nicole felt more uncomfortable with each second that passed. 

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how else to explain how we knew each other. Leave it to your sister to put me on the spot like that,” Nicole said, shoving her hands in her pant pockets and leaning against the wall. 

“It’s always lies with you, isn’t it? There’s always some reason you can’t tell the truth, some excuse for not being yourself.” Waverly gave Nicole a once-over that was more thoughtful than appraising. “I don’t believe I know a single thing about the real Nicole Haught, do I?” 

Nicole didn’t know what to say to that. She focused her attention on the intricate floor tiles until Waverly spoke again. 

“I think I’m ready to go home, excuse me.” Waverly went to walk past Nicole, but Nicole reached for her wrist before she opened the door. 

“Waves, please wait, we need to talk this out,” Nicole’s tone was pleading, but she knew by the narrowing of Waverly’s eyes that she wasn’t winning this battle tonight. 

Waverly calmly pulled her arm free of Nicole’s grip before reaching for the door handle. “Have a nice rest of your night with the Senator and your girlfriend, Nicole. And happy birthday,” she said, her tone clipped as she pulled the door open and disappeared through it. 

Fuck me, Nicole thought. She went to the sink and splashed some cool water on her face before reaching for a paper towel. “Worst birthday ever,” she muttered to her reflection, tossing the paper into the trash and leaving the restroom to look for Shae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the angst begin! Thanks for reading as always, and feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	17. Decisions & Admissions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly makes a decision and learns more about Wynonna & Nicole's partnership.

Waverly had made a decision, but she needed to run it by Wynonna. She walked the few blocks from her Airbnb to The Homestead gallery, knowing her sister would be there. She found Wynonna bent over the laptop on her desk, a large cup of coffee in hand. 

“Hey Nonna, you got a minute?” Waverly asked, not wanting to interrupt if Wynonna was actually busy with work. 

“Sure thing baby girl, what’s up?” Wynonna flipped her laptop closed and sat back, crossing her ankles on top of her desk and leaning back in her chair.

“Well, I’ve been thinking, and I’ve decided I want to stay in Chicago, at least for a little while. There’s no reason for me to go back to New York just yet, and I can work as a P.I. here just as easily as I can there. All I need to do is find a cheap place to stay and I’ll be set. Plus, I figured it might be nice for you and me to actually spend some time together, really get to know each other again. What do you think?” 

Wynonna didn’t answer right away, and Waverly found herself picking her cuticles nervously as she waited. That familiar twinge of self-doubt and rejection began to creep in, and she couldn’t stop herself from speaking up before Wynonna could turn her down. 

“I mean, if you don’t think it’s a good idea, or if you’re too busy with the gallery and everything to spend time together, that’s totally fine,” Waverly spoke quickly. “I only brought one suitcase, I can literally pack up and be on the road again by tonight.” 

Wynonna cocked her head in surprise before speaking. “You’ll do no such thing, Waves, of course I’d love for you to stay! I was just trying to figure out if I knew a place you could rent, but why not just stay with me? I’ve got a 2-bedroom apartment above the gallery here, and that way we’ll get to spend all the quality time together that you want. I’ll even throw in free rent if you do me some pro bono P.I. favors every now and then. Deal?” 

Waverly couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face. Wynonna wanted her here, she would be with family again. This day couldn’t get any better. 

“Knock knock.” 

Oh crap. Of course, Waverly thought. 

“You know you don’t have to say ‘knock knock’ out loud when you’re actually knocking on the door frame, Haught,” Wynonna said, rolling her eyes as Nicole walked in carrying a large padlocked case. 

“Shut it Wyn, or I’m gonna eat the powdered donut I brought you,” Nicole said, holding up a brown paper bag and waving it back and forth in front of Wynonna’s desk. 

“Gimme that you redheaded angel,” Wynonna said, standing quickly and snatching the bag from Nicole’s hand before she could react. 

Waverly watched powdered sugar stick all over her sister’s face as she scarfed her donut, licking her fingers happily and washing it down with coffee. She glanced Nicole’s way when she heard her snicker at Wynonna’s antics. 

Nicole caught her gaze and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Waves, if I had known you were going to be here I would’ve brought you one, too.” 

Wynonna spoke before Waverly had a chance to respond. 

“Yeah, yeah very chivalrous of you, Haughtpants, but I think you stopped by to bring me something else, am I right?” Wynonna asked.   
Waverly eyed the case as Nicole nodded and handed it to Wynonna over the desk. 

“What is that?” Waverly asked. 

There was a brief flicker of alarm in Nicole’s eyes before Wynonna spoke up again. 

“This, baby girl, is a very valuable piece that Nicole here has so graciously acquired for the gallery.” Wynonna clicked open the case and studied the contents with a smile before snapping it shut again. “It’s perfect, well done, Nic. I’ll wire you your cut tomorrow as usual.” 

“Thanks, Wy. I’ll leave you all to it,” Nicole said, nodding to Waverly and making her way towards the door. 

“Hold on,” Waverly interjected, stopping Nicole before she could leave. “What just happened here?” She waved a hand between Nicole and her sister. “You just show up with random art pieces, and then my sister wires you money, that’s how your business partnership works?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole glanced at Wynonna. “Um, yeah I guess?” Nicole said. “Wynonna has clients with specific tastes, I find what they’re looking for, and Wynonna sells it to them.”

“And I give Nicole a cut, since she’s doing the…heavy lifting, so to speak,” Wynonna added, winking at the redhead in question as she sipped her coffee. 

Waverly stared between the two of them. “You’re kidding me, right? You’re stealing this shit aren’t you?” she asked, pointing at Nicole. “And you’re selling stolen art,” she said, focusing on Wynonna. “Of course you two are running some shady underground business here, I freaking knew it!” 

Nicole blushed scarlet, but Wynonna looked offended. 

“Hey now little sister, I’ll have you know that this gallery features some of the best local talent Chicago has to offer. We sell tons of pieces legitimately during normal business hours. Then once the doors close for the day, Haught and I make a little extra on the side by doing some underground business for VIP clientele, what’s so wrong with that?” Wynonna asked, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. 

“It’s illegal, Nonna!” Waverly knew she was raising her voice, but she couldn’t help it. “And you!” she turned her attention to Nicole. “You’re a wanted fugitive, Nicole, has that fact crossed your mind lately? Or have you been too busy robbing people of priceless art to remember why you’re in this city in the first place?” 

“Waves listen-“ Nicole began, but Wynonna cut her off with a raised palm. 

“No Red, you don’t have to defend yourself, and neither do I,” Wynonna said, her voice firm as she stood from behind her desk. “Listen baby girl, you have no idea what it’s taken for me to get where I am today. We were orphaned, and when I left New York I had nothing. I had to scrape by any way I could, and then I got lucky and stumbled upon some local artists who had talent that I could hitch my wagon to before I could save enough to start my own gallery. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of in this life, but I don’t regret what I’ve built for myself here for one second.”

It had been years since Waverly had been on the receiving end of one of her sister’s scoldings, and the forgotten guilt she always felt in those moments came rushing back with a vengeance. But Wynonna wasn’t done. 

“And give Haught a fucking break, would you? You have no idea why she’s here, so don’t act like you know better. I wouldn’t be half this successful without her, and whether you approve of our methods or not, we’re making money to improve more people’s lives than just our own.” 

Waverly raised her eyebrows in surprise, wondering what her sister meant by that. Wynonna’s words had raised a lot more questions in her mind, but Waverly knew now wasn’t the time for them. She glanced towards Nicole, but her sister’s partner was looking purposefully at her shoelaces as if she was embarrassed to be imposing upon a family argument. 

Waverly sighed. “I’m sorry I made a snap judgment about you and your work, Nonna. I just worry about you, and if you’re caught up in something illegal that means there’s danger involved. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” She met Nicole’s eyes. “Either one of you.” 

Nicole looked surprised but nodded her understanding with a small smile. Wynonna walked around the desk and pulled Waverly into a surprise hug. 

“I know you have only the best intentions, little sister. Just remember that I do, too, ok?” Wynonna whispered in her ear. 

Waverly nodded into Wynonna’s shoulder before stepping out of the hug. She took a deep breath and let it out. “I think I need a drink after all that,” she said with a laugh. “Anybody else?” She addressed the question to Nicole, knowing Wynonna would never turn down a drink, mid-morning or not. 

Nicole looked at Wynonna, who was already grabbing her sunglasses and keys to lock up the gallery. She shook her head with a smile. “Looks like it’s time for an early liquid lunch,” she said, gesturing for Waverly to lead the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always! I've got what I think will be an exciting plot lined up for our trio here, with the focus on Wayhaught of course, so I hope you guys stick around for the ride. Feel free to comment, I love hearing what you guys think of the story <3


	18. Drunks & Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go out drinking, and Waverly meets an interesting stranger.

The California Clipper was an iconic bar in the city with a funky retro vibe. Wynonna and Nicole had spent more than a few nights here blowing off steam and celebrating after big sales, and it was the perfect place for a midday pick me up. 

Wynonna pushed through the doors with Nicole and Waverly on her heels, making a beeline for the mostly empty bar stools. She plopped down at her usual spot, resting both elbows on the bar and waiting for her favorite bar back, Rosita, to finish up with the only other customer in the place. Nicole sat in her usual seat to Wynonna’s left, and Waverly sat to the left of Nicole. 

Rosita made a show of checking her watch as she made her way over to the group. “It’s a little early for you gals isn’t it?” she joked, raising an eyebrow at Wynonna. “What’s the occasion?” 

“My little sister Waves is in town, that’s what,” Wynonna answered. “Plus, she just agreed to move in with me for a while, so we’ve got the Earp girls back together again. Chicago better watch its back.” 

This was news to Nicole, which was made evident by the surprised look she shot Wynonna. 

“Oh, that’s right, Red, you missed that part of the conversation. Well, surprise, you’ve got yourself a new neighbor in Chi-town!” Wynonna smirked and slapped Nicole on the shoulder, not missing the slightly panicked look on her face. 

Wynonna watched Nicole pull herself together before addressing her sister. 

“That’s great, I’m sure you’ll be glad to be able to spend more time together,” Nicole said, and Waverly simply nodded in response. 

“What are you girls drinking?” Rosita asked, looking to Waverly first. 

“I’ll have a vodka tonic please,” she said. 

Rosita nodded and looked between Nicole and Wynonna. “The usual?” she asked, and both women nodded their assent. 

Rosita poured the drinks and set them on the bar with a flourish. “First round’s on me. Welcome to Chicago, Waverly,” she said with a wink and a smile at the youngest Earp. 

The way Nicole’s eyes narrowed at the woman made Wynonna snort into her glass. 

“A toast,” she declared, turning on her stool and raising her glass. “To family,” she said simply, clinking glasses with Nicole and then Waverly before knocking back her whiskey in one gulp. “We’re gonna need a few more of these, Rosie,” she said, settling more comfortably into her stool. The afternoon was young. 

….

Waverly never thought she’d experience a drunk Nicole Haught, but if anyone could bring that side of her out, she should’ve known it would be her sister. She and Wynonna had crossed the line from tipsy to drunk about 30 minutes prior, and Waverly had to admit that the two of them together were pretty hilarious. 

She was surprised to see how close they were and how much Wynonna seemed to trust Nicole after knowing her for less than two years. It gave her a slight pang of jealousy in her gut, but she swallowed it down with the last of her third vodka tonic. She was happy her infamously lone wolf sister had found someone who clearly cared about her, and she knew from Nicole’s past how important it was for her to have strong connections in her life. She and Wynonna would get that close again soon, Waverly was sure of it. 

Waverly’s thoughts were interrupted when a clearly drunk older woman bumped into her from behind, sloshing a bit of her scotch over her glass and onto Waverly’s lap. 

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry honey, are you ok?” the woman asked, clearly embarrassed at her clumsiness. 

Waverly grabbed a napkin from the bar to blot the wet spot on her jeans, nodding at the woman as she did so. “It’s totally fine, don’t worry about it,” she said. 

“I swear I never get this drunk in public,” the woman went on, apparently feeling the need to explain herself further. “It’s just…”she paused, and Waverly realized with horror that the woman was about to start crying. “I think my husband is cheating on me!” the woman practically yelled, drawing the attention of Nicole and Wynonna.

Waverly reached behind her for more napkins and handed some to the hysterical woman. “I am so sorry, ma’am,” she said, throwing Nicole and her sister a look that clearly said she needed some help here. 

“You know, I got cheated on once,” Nicole said, slurring slightly. “It was horrible…” Waverly watched Nicole’s eyes glaze over as she got lost in whatever memory she had just conjured up, and she made a mental note to come back to that conversation another time. 

At the moment, Nicole’s words only made the woman cry harder, and she blew her nose loudly into the napkins Waverly had handed her. Waverly widened her eyes pointedly at Wynonna, seeing as Nicole was clearly useless in this situation. 

Wynonna seemed to search for something to say, when suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had thought of the next great invention of the decade. “My sister’s a private investigator, she can follow your husband and catch his cheating ass!” she shouted proudly, tipping her glass towards the crying woman as if saluting her. 

Waverly’s eyebrows shot to her hairline, and she shook her head as inconspicuously as she could to deter Wynonna from saying anything more on the subject, but it was too late. The crying woman’s head whipped up at Wynonna’s words, and she seemed to have a glimmer of renewed hope. 

“She could really do that?” the woman asked, and Wynonna nodded emphatically. 

“Yes, ma’am, my baby sister’s the best in the business. She used to hunt down big time criminals, so a cheating scumbag is no problem for my Waverly,” Wynonna said proudly, giving Waverly a wink. “Isn’t that right, Waves?”

The woman turned to Waverly with a thoughtful look on her face and placed her nearly empty drink on the bar, this time without spilling it on the younger Earp. “How much?” she asked. 

“Excuse me?” Waverly asked, not understanding what the woman was asking her. 

“How much would you charge to investigate my husband, find out if he’s really cheating on me?” the woman asked. 

Waverly glanced at Wynonna, who was nodding encouragingly and giving her a thumbs up. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her sister’s drunken grin. Well, Waverly thought, if I’m going to stay here, might as well start taking some clients. What the hell. 

“25 dollars an hour, and if I get photographic proof of infidelity it’s another 300 for the photos,” Waverly said, knowing from experience people often wanted photos for leverage in divorce settlements. 

“Done,” the woman said. “But if you catch him with some whore I’ll pay you double your hourly fee.” 

Waverly was surprised at the offer, but when she took note of the designer clothes and expensive jewelry the woman was wearing, she realized she was probably good for it. She nodded and stuck out a hand to seal the deal with the stranger before her. 

“You’ve got yourself a P.I., ma’am,” Waverly said. “Waverly Earp, by the way.” 

The woman shook her hand with a firm grip and a new fire in her eyes. “Deborah Trenton, but you can call me Debbie.” 

Waverly pulled a business card out of her wallet and handed it to Debbie. “This has my cell phone and email address on it. Send me your address, your husband’s name and date of birth, and I’ll get to work first thing tomorrow.” 

“Thank you,” Debbie said, surprising Waverly by pulling her into a quick hug. “I’ll be in touch.” She slapped a $100 bill on the bar to cover her tab and made her way towards the exit. 

Waverly looked at her sister who looked like a proud mom, and this time she did roll her eyes at Wynonna’s dopey grin. She found Nicole leaning heavily on the bar with her fist under her chin, absently swirling the straw in her drink. She seemed to have missed the entire interaction where Waverly had just gotten a job offer from a total stranger. 

Wynonna noticed where Waverly’s attention had landed and shoved Nicole’s shoulder gently. “You all good there, Haughtshot?” she asked. 

Nicole seemed to snap out of a daze, looking between the two sisters a few times before speaking. “Can we get some nachos?” she asked, and Waverly burst out laughing. 

“Nuh uh, it’s time to get you two drunks home,” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder and ushering Nicole and Wynonna off of their stools. “I’ll get us an Uber.” 

It was a quick car ride from the bar to Nicole’s apartment complex, and they dropped her off before continuing on to the gallery and Wynonna’s place. Our place now, Waverly thought, realizing this is where she would be living for the foreseeable future. 

She had gotten a place to live and a surprise client all in one day. Maybe Chicago was exactly where she was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting some ground work for future chapters - Debbie will be important later on ;) Thanks for sticking with me, we've got some good stuff coming up!


	19. Night Chats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole discusses her options with Wynonna and has an unplanned chat with Waverly.

Nicole was running a bit early as she walked towards the gallery, her latest tactfully acquired piece in a round tube-shaped case slung over her shoulder. Her mind was replaying the last conversation she and Shae had after her birthday party, which predictably centered around Shae’s distaste for Wynonna. It was a discussion Nicole was tired of having, and she sighed deeply at the memory of it. 

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only topic she and Shae had been in disagreement about lately. Their arguments were becoming more frequent, and Nicole needed to talk things through with her friend, get an outside perspective on it all. 

She knocked on the back door that faced the alley and waited for Wynonna to let her in. It was just before 6pm, and Nicole wished she had eaten dinner before she came, as her stomach was now growling uncomfortably. 

“Why so serious, Red?” Wynonna asked, taking in Nicole’s expression as she opened the door for her. 

“Just tired,” Nicole responded, handing over the artwork for Wynonna to inspect. 

Wynonna glanced at her watch. “It’s 6 o’clock, Haught, are you getting old on me?” She laughed, unscrewing the lid on the case and carefully sliding the canvas out. 

Nicole laughed once and sighed. “No, just tired of fighting with Shae. Tired of trying to figure out what my next move should be. I’m just tired of all of it.” She took a seat in one of the chairs across from Wynonna’s desk as her friend went through her usual routine of checking her latest delivery. 

“What’s Shae’s problem this time?” Wynonna asked, trying to keep her tone neutral even though she hated the woman. 

“We just aren’t on the same page at all anymore,” Nicole began. “After the party she gave me a ton of grief about you, nothing new there. But then of course she had 100 questions about who Waverly was and why I hadn’t mentioned her before, even though I thought I had covered that at the party.” 

Wynonna glanced up at that but remained quiet. 

“And then when I told her I was trying to plan what city to move to next, she was pretty insistent about going back to New York, which obviously isn’t an option for me. I know she misses her old life and her friends there, but I can’t exactly tell her why I’ll never be able to go back to that city. If it comes down to me or New York, I think I’m going to lose that battle,” Nicole said. 

Wynonna seemed thoughtful for a minute as she focused on the painting in front of her. “Would that be such a bad thing?” she asked. “If you and Shae decide it’s time to go your separate ways?” 

Nicole thought it over. If she was being honest, it was pretty unrealistic to expect her relationship with Shae to pan out in the long term, especially when she couldn’t be completely up front with her about her profession. Not to mention how much Shae and Wynonna hated each other, and the fact that Shae was so condescending towards her only friend rubbed Nicole the wrong way. The only person who really knew her and accepted her without judgment was Wynonna Earp, and that fact probably wouldn’t change anytime soon. Maybe Wynonna was right…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on Wynonna’s office door, and Nicole turned in her chair as Wynonna yelled “Come in!”. Waverly was on the other side of the door, a thermos in one hand and a large camera bag in the other. Hazel eyes landed on Nicole momentarily before scanning the room for Wynonna, and Nicole felt a familiar pang in her chest that had become a more frequent occurrence since the younger Earp’s arrival in the city. 

“Hey baby girl, what brings you by?” Wynonna asked, finishing up with the piece Nicole had brought and focusing on her sister. 

“I’ve been following Mrs. Trenton’s husband around all day, so figured I’d stop by to see if you wanted to grab dinner?” Waverly asked. Nicole saw her eyes flit her direction briefly, but she didn’t think the dinner invitation was meant for her. 

“Sure thing,” Wynonna said. “Can you give me 10 minutes to run upstairs and take a quick shower first? And maybe while I’m gone you can cheer Nicole here up a bit,” she said with a wink towards the redhead. 

Nicole rolled her eyes and stood up from her chair. “That really won’t be necessary, I’ll get out of your hair, Wy. You two have a nice dinner,” she said, making her way towards the back door. 

“Nonsense,” Wynonna said, “you might as well keep each other company until I get back. I’ll be quick, Waves.” Wynonna disappeared, leaving Nicole and Waverly alone in her office. 

Nicole sighed and sat back down, giving Waverly a tight smile. Of course now Waverly would feel obligated to make small talk with her now that Wynonna had forced her hand, Nicole thought. Waverly seemed to think over her options, but she finally set her camera bag down and took the seat next to Nicole. 

“So what do you need cheering up for?” Waverly asked, sitting back in her seat and crossing one knee over the other. 

“I was just telling her about a stupid argument Shae and I had, it’s not really worth talking about,” Nicole said, suddenly finding her cuticles extremely interesting so she could avoid Waverly’s eyes. 

It took a few moments for Waverly to speak, but she caught Nicole off guard when she did. “How long have you been seeing her?” she asked. Her tone was measured, flat, but Nicole wondered if there was a hint of betrayal underneath it. 

Nicole sighed but met Waverly’s gaze. “We used to see each other casually back in New York. After I met you, I didn’t see her for months, not until I…Well, when she found out I had left town, she said she wanted to join me in Chicago and now here we are,” Nicole finished. 

Waverly seemed to consider Nicole’s words. “You know I looked for you for weeks,” she said finally. “Dolls and I searched all over the city, just in case you had decided to lay low somewhere close by. We rounded up all of your Revenant friends, and not one of them knew where you or Bobo had disappeared to. You were like a ghost.” 

Nicole studied Waverly’s face as she decided how honest she wanted to be. “I felt like one for a while,” she admitted. “I had no clue what to do with myself after everything that had happened. I don’t even know why I came to Chicago, but then I met your sister and we hit it off immediately. Before I knew it we were in business, and I had something to work for again, I was part of a team. It sounds stupid, but Wynonna saved me in a lot of ways,” she said. 

Waverly sighed and shook her head. “Well, imagine my surprise when I show up here to see her for the first time in years and by some ridiculous coincidence you two are attached at the hip. It makes no sense…” she trailed off, and Nicole felt suddenly sorry for ruining the reunion Waverly had been expecting with her sister. 

“You know, I told Wynonna I was going to leave town after you showed up,” Nicole said. Waverly’s eyes widened in surprise. “I think it’s the right thing, I just need to figure out my next move.” 

“You know, if I was going to turn you in to the Feds, I probably would’ve done it by now,” Waverly said. 

Nicole shrugged. “Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you after what I did,” she said. “I had my reasons for leaving you that day, but that doesn’t mean it was the right thing.” 

“What do you mean you had-“ 

“Hey, Nic?” The door creaked open and a damp brunette head popped around the corner a moment later. “You better get out here, Shae is knocking on the gallery door, and let’s just say she doesn’t seem like the patient type,” Wynonna said, glancing over at Waverly before focusing on Nicole. 

Nicole exhaled loudly. “Ok thanks, Wyn.” She gave Waverly one last look over her shoulder as she headed towards the door of the office. “I can explain everything later, if you’ll let me.” 

Waverly took a beat but nodded once as Nicole left the room and mentally prepared herself for what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always guys. The next one will be angsty, my fave! Lol see you all in the comments <3


	20. Conflicting Views

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly have a complicated discussion about the past and present.

Waverly was sitting at Wynonna’s kitchen island, the photos she had taken of Debbie Trenton’s husband the day prior scattered over the counter. She leaned her chin on her hand and looked closer at one showing Debbie’s husband, Marcus Trenton, at a café with a Hispanic man Waverly had yet to identify. The meeting had seemed to Waverly like a business lunch, but she couldn’t be sure. Marcus Trenton in his designer suit and the tattooed man in his jeans and ballcap were an odd pairing, that’s for sure. So far Waverly had no evidence of the affair Debbie was worried about, but it was still early in her investigation. 

She turned her head at the sound of knocking on the front door, sighing as she pushed off the bar stool and went to answer it. 

Nicole. Of course it was. 

Waverly said nothing as she held the door open, waiting for Nicole to speak. 

“Um, hi,” she said. “I figured maybe we could have that talk I owe you now?” Nicole sounded unsure, and Waverly softened in spite of herself. 

She held the door wider and gestured for Nicole to enter. “Come on in,” she said. “You want some coffee or something?” 

Nicole nodded gratefully. “Sure, coffee sounds good.” 

Waverly moved about the kitchen as Nicole sat on Wynnona’s old worn out couch in the living room. When the Keurig was finished running, she poured a splash of milk in the mug and took it over to the couch, handing it to Nicole as she sat on the opposite end. 

“Thanks,” Nicole said, gripping the mug in both hands and inhaling the scent with a smile. “So…where should we start?” Nicole asked, making it clear she was going to let Waverly run the show. 

Waverly sat back against the arm of the couch and thought about the last time she had seen Nicole in New York, the night they had slept together. It had been a night Waverly had been unable to forget, just like the feeling she’d gotten that morning when she woke up to find Nicole gone. 

“Where’d you go when you left me that night?” Waverly asked. “Walk me through the next 24 hours.” 

Nicole took a swig from her mug and nodded, as if she had expected Waverly to start there. 

“The meeting Bobo had set up with Devaros was scheduled for that next morning, so I knew I had to talk to Bobo before then. When I left my apartment, I took the subway straight to his place. He was surprised to see me,” Nicole said with a small laugh.

“Why was he surprised?” Waverly interjected. 

“Once I got picked up that final time by you and Dolls, and then my DEA handler was involved, Bobo suspected I was a traitor. He had already put a hit out on me before I left your office,” Nicole explained. “He must have thought I was insane when I showed up on his doorstep, but I needed him to realize I could help him, if he would agree to help me in return.” 

Waverly nodded slowly. “What did he need help with?” she asked. 

“He needed an out, and I was the only one who could give him one,” Nicole replied. “You guys were getting way too close to him with your investigation, so he and I both knew his time in New York was at an end. I explained that to him that morning and told him if we relieved Devaros of his money, there would be plenty there for him to make a new start somewhere else.”

“So you help him, you give Bobo the opportunity to take a lot of cash and get out of town. What I’m missing is, how does Bobo help you?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole sipped her coffee, and Waverly noticed a slight flush creep up her neck before she spoke. “First and foremost, I needed him to cancel the hit on me, and he did that once he realized I was still loyal to him,” Nicole said. 

Waverly cocked her head and studied Nicole, her long finger tapping against the side of her mug. 

“What else?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole looked surprised at the question. “What do you mean?” 

“What else was in it for you? Or did you simply help Bobo out of loyalty to him?”

Nicole sighed and shook her head. “No, it wasn’t just because of the familial bond I felt we had,” she began. Nicole met Waverly’s eyes before she continued. “It was because of you. My choice was made for me the minute we met.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Waverly asked. “Explain, please.” 

“If I had stayed loyal to the NYPD, you would’ve kept working to bring Bobo and his gang into custody, and you would’ve gotten yourself killed.” Nicole said. 

Waverly was about to interrupt, but she remained silent at Nicole’s raised hand. 

“Bobo doesn’t fuck around with people who threaten his livelihood, and there was no way he would’ve gone quietly. And I couldn’t just keep working for Bobo and stay in New York, or you would’ve had me in the cell next to him. I also knew I couldn’t just flee the city on my own, because if I left Bobo there he would’ve come after you before coming to find me.” 

The pieces were starting to slide into place in Waverly’s mind. She finally understood Nicole’s perspective on how things had ended, and why they had to. 

“So you’re saying you helped Bobo escape so he wouldn’t come after either one of us, and so I wouldn’t keep pursuing him. You were trying to protect both of us from each other?” Waverly asked. 

“Yes, Waves, that’s what I’m saying. I could’ve taken you with me and tried to run, but then I would’ve remained a traitor in Bobo’s eyes and the hit would’ve stayed out on us. I had to help him to prove my loyalty, and I had to leave you to keep you alive.” Nicole’s gaze was steady as she spoke, and Waverly thought back to those many months before and tried to view things from the perspective Nicole had now given her. 

She had to leave. She didn’t want to leave me. She wanted to take me with her, but it wasn’t safe. Waverly’s thoughts were a whirlwind. 

A minute or two went by as Waverly was lost in thought. Nicole cleared her throat and shifted on the couch. 

“Is there anything else you want to know?” Nicole asked. 

Waverly voiced the one question she wasn’t able to wrap her head around. “Why didn’t you come back for me afterwards? Or call me and let me know where you were and what had happened? If you just wanted to protect me, you accomplished that once Bobo had his money and left the city. Instead, you left and never looked back. Why?” 

Nicole shook her head and looked at her hands around the mug. “Because I knew that once I betrayed you, once I seemingly chose Bobo over you and my job and the law, you would hate me. You would think I was as bad as you perceived him to be. You did, didn’t you?” Nicole asked. 

“Yes, I did,” Waverly admitted. “I thought you used me to keep an eye on the investigation into Bobo, and you helped him escape just before we got too close. I didn’t think you gave a shit about anyone but him and yourself.” 

“Well, I am a little self-centered,” Nicole joked, “but I care about you more than you know, Waves.” 

“You mean ‘cared’?” Waverly asked. 

“Right, of course, past tense,” Nicole said.

The two of them just stared at each other. Waverly finally broke eye contact and stood from the couch, her thoughts still in a whirl over all of this new information. Nicole stood with her, walking towards the kitchen to put her empty mug on the counter. 

“I guess I’ll get out of your hair,” she said. “I’m sure you want some time to process all of that.” 

Waverly nodded. “Yeah, some time would be good,” she said. 

Nicole’s eye seemed to catch one of the photos on the counter, and her face froze in alarm. 

“Why do you have pictures of Marcus Trenton?” Nicole asked. 

“For my new job,” Waverly said, confusion clear in her tone. “The bar the other night? His wife hired me?” Nicole’s face was blank. “You were sitting right next to me at the bar when she was spilling her guts about her cheating husband, and then she hired me to trail him and get evidence of his affair.” 

“Sorry, I have no recollection of that, clearly I was wasted,” Nicole said. “But you can’t be investigating Marcus Trenton, Waverly,” she said seriously. 

“And why not?” Waverly asked, arms crossing over her chest in defiance. 

“He’s a lawyer who uses his business to launder money for the cartel,” Nicole said, and Waverly’s eyebrows shot up. 

Shit. Of course this guy was a way bigger creep than his wife let on, Waverly thought. 

“I’m not looking into his business dealings, Nicole. Debbie only hired me to catch him cheating, so I don’t see what that has to do with anything,” Waverly replied. 

Nicole just stared at her. “You don’t see what his being a vital asset to the cartel and the gateway that all of their money runs through has to do with anything? I thought you were smarter than that,” Nicole said. 

“Excuse me?” Waverly went from defiant to pissed in a split second. 

“You heard me. You must have a goddamn death wish,” Nicole said. “First Bobo and now Marcus fucking Trenton, Jesus Waves.” 

“I am perfectly capable of doing my job and taking care of myself, I’m a big girl, Nicole,” she spat. 

“Oh really, and how would you classify how you handled your investigation into me in New York?” Nicole asked sarcastically. “Would you say you were very careful and capable of protecting yourself when you were waltzing into gang bars with that infuriating smirk on your face?” 

Waverly’s eyes narrowed, but she knew Nicole’s words had a ring of truth to them. She had been reckless in New York, and she was lucky she had gotten out unscathed. 

“You can’t do that job,” Nicole said, a tone of finality in her voice as she pointed to Trenton’s picture. 

“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole’s eyes flashed and before Waverly saw her move, Nicole was in her space, so close Waverly could see the gold flecks in her furious brown eyes. 

“I risked my life, my livelihood, everything I had to protect you back in New York,” Nicole said, her voice dangerously quiet. “And now you’re running off trying to be the hero again, but you’re playing with fire and you have no idea how to control it. Marcus Trenton is dangerous, Waverly, and you need to stay the hell away from him.” Nicole's eyes dropped to Waverly's lips for a split second before returning to her eyes. The movement was so fast Waverly wondered if she imagined it.

Waverly mirrored Nicole’s glare, the two maintaining their standoff for a few seconds before Waverly took a step back, putting some much-needed distance between her and Nicole. The scent of vanilla that clung to her was honestly distracting. 

“This is my job, and I thought you didn’t care about me anymore?” Waverly asked, quirking an eyebrow in challenge. 

Nicole opened her mouth but snapped it shut again, turning around to walk to the front door. She turned around as she pulled the door open. 

“You’re right, Waves. Who gives a shit what my feelings are, right?” Nicole asked rhetorically. “I’ll go tell your sister about this little project of yours, maybe you’ll give a fuck about her feelings on the matter.” 

Nicole walked out and slammed the door behind her, leaving Waverly alone in the kitchen. She wondered briefly if Nicole would follow through on her threat to tell Wynonna who she had been hired to tail and how dangerous he was.

“Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is all dialogue guys, but I needed to get this convo in before we can get back to some action. Let the angst live on! Thanks for all of your comments and kudos, you guys are seriously awesome <3


	21. The Stakeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly & Nicole get stuck on a mission together, and stuff happens ;)

Nicole sat in a corner booth, sipping her beer and keeping an eye on the locals who frequented the California Clipper. She turned when the door creaked open and slid lower in her seat when she saw Waverly Earp walk in and make her way towards a stool at the bar. Waverly didn’t notice her, and Nicole heaved a sigh of relief. 

After their last encounter, Nicole wasn’t ready to face the younger Earp just yet. She knew she had been pretty harsh with Waverly, even though everything she said had been the truth. Waverly was as stubborn as they come, she even gave Wynonna a run for her money, and that was saying something. 

Speak of the devil, Nicole thought, as Wynonna pushed her way into the bar and spotted her sister, sliding onto the stool next to Waverly and waving at Rosita who was tending bar again tonight. Rosita made her way towards the Earps and took their order, giving Waverly an appraising glance Nicole noticed from where she sat. She sipped her beer and put her glass down a bit harder than she meant to on the table, causing the golden liquid to slosh over the side. 

Nicole watched Rosita return with the Earp girls’ drinks, smiling wide and placing her hand briefly on Waverly’s forearm as she set her glass down. The two exchanged some words, and Rosita laughed loudly before walking away. 

Nicole swallowed her jealousy with the last of her beer and stood from the table, making a hasty exit towards the front door. It was time to stop pining over this woman once and for all. 

….

It was 8:15pm the following night when Nicole arrived at Wynonna’s gallery. She had received a text from her partner earlier in the day, asking her to meet to discuss a business opportunity. Not usually Wynonna’s style, but Nicole had to admit she was curious. She sat on the stoop in the alley and waited. 

It took about ten minutes for a car to pull into the small alley parking lot, but it wasn’t Wynonna’s car that showed up. Nicole saw Waverly step out from the driver’s seat and crossed her arms over her chest as she stood. 

“What are you doing here?” Nicole asked, looking towards Waverly’s car to see if Wynonna was in the passenger seat. She didn’t see any movement. 

Waverly looked as surprised as Nicole felt. 

“Um, I’m supposed to be meeting Wynonna,” Waverly answered. “Why are you here?” 

“Same reason,” Nicole said. She checked her watch. “She was supposed to meet me 10 minutes ago, but I haven’t heard from her.” 

Nicole was interrupted by a phone ringing, and Waverly slid her iPhone out of her pocket and checked the screen. She showed it to Nicole with a roll of her eyes before answering.

“Nonna. Where are you?” Waverly asked, pausing to listen as her sister went into a seemingly long explanation. Nicole watched Waverly’s face shift from curiosity to annoyance. 

“That’s not what we discussed,” Waverly said, a slight edge to her tone that Nicole recognized from their previous argument. She listened for a bit longer before sighing, seeming to accept whatever her sister was saying. 

“Fine, we’ll talk about this later.” Waverly hung up without saying goodbye and focused on Nicole. “She’s not coming.” 

Nicole was confused. “What do you mean she’s not coming?” 

Waverly shoved her hands in her pockets. “Apparently Nonna decided that instead of coming on this stakeout with me herself, you’d be a better choice. Something about allowing you to keep an eye on me while making sure I was safe…” Waverly trailed off, and Nicole felt her face flush slightly. 

Freaking Wynonna Earp. Nicole was going to kill her. 

“Look Waves, I swear I knew nothing about this,” Nicole started. “There’s no reason for me to join you on your stakeout of Trenton, I’m sure you can handle it.” 

Waverly paused, and Nicole raised her eyebrows in surprise when she spoke. “Actually, I’d feel a little better knowing I had some backup,” Waverly admitted. “I asked Wynonna to come after you and I had our…talk, but since she bailed and left us here together then I’d like it if you would come. I mean, you totally don’t have to, I’m sure you’re busy and probably have other plans or something.” Waverly was rambling, and Nicole found it frustratingly cute. 

“Well, since your sister stood me up, my night is looking pretty open all of a sudden,” Nicole said. “Let’s do it. You can fill me in on what you’ve got while we drive.” 

….

“I keep getting photos of him with various men around the city, but so far no signs of cheating on his wife, Debbie,” Waverly said, as she and Nicole sat parked across the street from Marcus Trenton’s office. His car was still parked out front despite the late hour, so Waverly knew he was still inside. 

“So far I haven’t been able to identify any of the men, but I assume they’re business associates of some kind,” Waverly continued, handing Nicole a stack of photos she had taken on previous days surveilling Trenton. 

Nicole flipped through the photos slowly, seeming to study each one carefully before moving on to the next. 

“Nobody looks familiar to me,” Nicole said. “You’re right about them not looking like typical white-collar associates of Trenton’s though. The difference in dress alone is interesting, not to mention all of the tattoos these guys have. Something definitely doesn’t add up here.” 

“Look, there he is,” Waverly said, raising her camera to snap a few shots of Trenton as he exited the building with another man. Waverly recognized him, it was the same man he’d met at a restaurant a few days before, the same distinctive tattoo on the back of his right hand. 

She lowered her camera as Trenton walked the man into the alley next to the building, rather than heading towards his car like Waverly expected. 

“Where’s he going?” Nicole asked from beside her, craning her neck to see around Waverly in the driver’s seat. 

“I’m not sure,” Waverly mumbled, watching the two gesture back and forth in the dimly lit alleyway. Waverly saw Trenton pull a small object out of his back pocket and froze. “Shit,” she muttered, covering her mouth with a gasp as she heard a muffled pop echo towards them.

She felt Nicole grip her forearm, to reassure her or keep her from screaming she wasn’t sure. 

“Don’t move, Waves,” Nicole whispered. “We need to hope Trenton doesn’t see us and then get the hell out of here.”

Waverly nodded once as they watched Trenton rummage through the dead man’s pockets, taking his wallet, keys, and phone and slipping them into his own pockets quickly. He was making it look like a mugging gone wrong, smart Waverly thought with disgust. 

Trenton left the body and walked quickly to his parked Maserati, sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the engine with a quiet purr. Waverly watched him back out of the parking spot and realized by the way his car was facing that he was going to drive right past her and Nicole’s position. 

“Um, Nicole-“ 

Waverly’s words were cut off by a cool hand on her cheek turning her head away from the window and warm lips suddenly meeting hers. Her wide eyes met Nicole’s brown ones as Nicole spoke softly against her lips. 

“Don’t move until he’s gone,” she whispered, the brush of her lips against Waverly’s causing goosebumps to erupt across Waverly’s arms. Waverly nodded slowly, the movement causing her nose to brush against Nicole’s, and she heard Nicole gasp at the contact. 

Looking back on that moment, Waverly would swear they would’ve been fine if not for that intake of breath and the small noise at the back of Nicole’s throat, one Waverly remembered well from their night together almost two years prior. 

“Fuck, Nicole,” Waverly breathed, sliding a hand behind Nicole’s neck and pulling her lips against hers fully. Nicole tensed up for just a second, but it passed the moment Waverly licked her bottom lip and demanded entrance. Nicole opened for her immediately, and Waverly sighed into her mouth, feeling Nicole’s hand grip her forearm as she fisted Nicole’s hair in her hand. 

The center console was preventing Waverly from getting as close to Nicole as she wanted, although their lips moved together as though they had been starved for contact. Waverly nipped Nicole’s bottom lip and wondered if she could climb over the console to sit in her lap, but Nicole’s sudden pulling away stopped that train of thought in its tracks. 

Nicole was breathing hard, and Waverly was glad she wasn’t the only one out of breath. 

“He’s gone,” Nicole said, running a hand through her hair and looking out the windshield instead of at Waverly. 

“Huh?” Waverly asked, distracted by her rapidly beating heart and lips that were still tingling from Nicole’s touch. 

“Trenton. He’s gone. We should get out of here,” Nicole clarified. 

Waverly stared at Nicole’s profile, allowing her breathing to return to normal before clearing her throat. 

“Yeah, ok.” She turned the engine over and checked her mirror before pulling out of the spot, her mind reeling as they made the short drive back to the gallery in silence. 

When she pulled into the alley behind The Homestead, Waverly cut the engine and Nicole bolted from the car immediately. Waverly scrambled out after her, shouting to get her attention as Nicole walked away. 

“Hey! That’s it?” Waverly asked. “What about what just happened back there?” 

Nicole stopped and turned back to face her. “You can call the cops and report what you saw, but if you do that they’ll take an official statement and your name will be attached to the case. If Trenton is connected, he’ll find out who you are.” 

Waverly shook her head. “I’ll think about all of that in a minute. I was talking about what just happened between you and me,” she said. 

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck. “What’s there to talk about?” she asked. “I needed to keep Trenton from seeing you spying on him, so I acted on impulse.” 

Waverly studied her for a moment before speaking. “And after that?” she challenged. 

“That was all you,” Nicole stated with a shrug. 

“It didn’t feel like it was all me,” Waverly said, taking a step forward that was mirrored by a backwards step from Nicole. Waverly caught the movement and remained still. 

“Waves, please,” Nicole said, her voice quiet. “I can’t do this with you right now, ok?” 

“Later then,” Waverly said, leaving no room for argument. 

Nicole sighed but nodded once. “Later,” she said, turning away and disappearing into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading as always, and I'll see you in the comments! I have my reasons for the continued angst, so stick with me :) <3 you all!


	22. Tension

"How'd your stakeout go last night?" Wynonna asked, focusing on the ancient canvas she was currently packaging for one of her biggest clients. 

Nicole was seated in front of her desk, her eyes closed and hands clasped over her stomach as she reclined in her chair with a yawn. 

"Not great," Nicole replied. "You know how dangerous that scumbag she's tailing is. And of course as we're sitting there he murders some dude right in front of us." 

Wynonna's head whipped up at that, her eyebrows near her hairline. 

"He didn't see you guys though, right?" she asked, the concern evident on her face as she awaited Nicole's response. 

Nicole shook her head. "No, he took off pretty quickly after he dropped the guy, and I...made sure Waverly and I weren't seen when he left." 

Wynonna took note of the slight blush on her partner's cheeks but said nothing of it. _Interesting._

"So what's the next move with Trenton then?" she asked, placing the final packing material on top of the canvas before sealing the crate's lid to hold everything in place. 

"No idea, you'll have to ask your sister," Nicole said. 

"Ask me what?" 

Wynonna glanced up at Waverly's well-timed arrival. 

"Ah, just the girl we were waiting for," Wynonna said. "What's your plan for Trenton now that you've seen what a peach he really is? Nicole said you guys had a bit of a close call last night." 

Waverly's eyes met Nicole's briefly before drifting away just as quickly, her gaze settling on the floor a few feet in front of her shoes. _Even more interesting, _Wynonna thought. 

Waverly cleared her throat before speaking. "Well, now that we've seen what he's capable of first hand, I'll be sure to tread lightly around him in the future," she said. 

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Took a touch of murder for you to take him seriously, eh?" 

Waverly glared in the redhead's direction. "Bite me, Haught. You were right, ok? Congratu-fucking-lations." 

"Just call 'em like I see 'em," Nicole replied, a bit smugly Wynonna thought. 

"Well I suppose it takes a hardened criminal to know one," Waverly snapped. 

Wynonna smirked at that, and Nicole's eyes narrowed at her sister before she pushed herself out of her chair. 

"Good one, Waves. Have fun with your mark," Nicole said, sweeping from the room and slamming the front door of the gallery on her way out. 

Wynonna frowned her disapproval at her little sister. "Was that really necessary?" she asked.

Waverly looked appropriately scolded at her words. She threw herself into Nicole's now vacant chair with a _humph. _

"She's so self-righteous and irritating, Nonna, I can't help it," Waverly said.

"Sounds pretty similar to somebody else I know," Wynonna said with a pointed glance in Waverly's direction. 

"Oh, of course you're taking her side!" Waverly said. "Have you forgotten that we're sisters and you're supposed to be on my side?" 

Wynonna stopped her work and walked over to sit on the edge of her desk. "I'm not on anybody's side, baby girl. I just want my sister and my best friend to be able to be in the same room without ripping each other to shreds every other minute. Is that too much to ask?" 

Waverly sighed and met Wynonna's gaze with soft eyes. "I suppose not," she said quietly. "I'm trying here, Nonna, it's just difficult with her..." 

Wynonna put a hand on Waverly's knee and gave it a squeeze. "I know it is, Waves. Just try, ok? For me." 

Waverly nodded her agreement and stood from her chair. 

"Nicole's lucky to have you, you know," Waverly said. 

"I'm luckier to have her, but if you tell her I said that I'll deny it," Wynonna said with a wink, going back to her work of securing the crate and preparing it for shipment. She watched her little sister leave the office, shaking her head at the tension she had just witnessed between her and Nicole. It wouldn't take long for things to reach a boiling point at the rate those two were going. She hoped she wasn't there to witness it when it did. 


	23. The Chase

Waverly had successfully avoided Nicole for the past few days. The majority of their encounters left her feeling drained and confused, and her mind had revisited their kiss in her car more times than she'd like to admit. The whole situation was exhausting and infuriating, and she didn't know what to do about any of it. 

Luckily, tonight she had work to focus on, namely keeping tabs on Marcus Trenton and his shady dealings. She was determined to catch him with a woman like Debbie had hired her to do, but she was certainly being kept plenty busy documenting all of his other illicit activities, not to mention the outright murder she and Nicole had witnessed a few days before. She had decided to take Nicole's advice and not report the incident to police, knowing it would put her at risk if she was connected to the case in any way. Waverly had yet to draw the attention of Marcus Trenton, and she wanted to keep it that way. 

Tonight she was on foot, trailing the man in question as he walked around the city, making multiple pit stops along the way. Her large digital camera was too obvious and bulky to carry under these circumstances, so Waverly was relying on her phone to take photos of all the people Trenton interacted with throughout the night. So far he had walked from his office to a local deli for dinner, which he ate alone, and he was now headed in the direction of Millenium Park which seemed peculiar to Waverly. 

_What kind of lawyer takes random strolls to the park at 8:30pm on a weeknight? _Waverly wondered. 

She watched Trenton cross Michigan Avenue and enter the park on the northwest side, checking both ways before following at a safe distance. It would be harder to keep tabs on him on the park's narrow sidewalks, lit only with occasional lamp posts amongst the trees. Waverly would have to get a bit closer to Trenton than she'd like to keep him in her sights, so she picked up her pace to close the distance between them. 

He made a few turns, and each time it took a few moments for Waverly to discern which way he had gone in the dim light. He was now about to cross Columbus Drive, which cut a vertical path through the middle of the park. The only destinations of note on the other side were the ice rink and city mini golf, both of which would be closed this time of night. Waverly slowed her pace, noting that Trenton appeared to be slowing his as well. He approached the entrance to the mini golf course and scanned the area, appearing to be looking for something. _Or someone. _

A few long minutes passed, Waverly checking her watch every so often. Seven minutes went by before she heard footsteps approaching. Waverly hid herself as best she could against a large oak tree, keeping her line of sight on Trenton. He turned when he heard the footsteps, his back to Waverly as a figure approached from the other direction. She squinted in the dark, trying to make out any distinguishable features of the person who was coming closer with every step. It was definitely a woman, Waverly could tell that much as she stepped into the dim light of the street lamp overhead. Long legs, tight dress, shoulder length black hair. Definitely not Trenton's wife, Debbie, Waverly realized with a thrill. She slid the phone from her back pocket and readied herself to collect the evidence she needed. 

Trenton and the woman embraced when she reached him, him turning their bodies so that her back was against the wall of the mini golf entrance, his front pressed against her. They were kissing, but Waverly couldn't get a clear look at the woman's face from her vantage point. She slipped around the tree she was leaning against and stole her way over to a closer one, this one a bit more narrow but still wide enough to provide her some cover. The woman angled her head as Trenton continued to kiss her, and Waverly covered her mouth to stifle her gasp. 

_Shae Pressman. _

Trenton was kissing Shae Pressman. Nicole Haught's girlfriend, Shae Pressman. _Holy crapballs, _Waverly thought. 

She gathered herself enough to remember she needed photos. Waverly held up her phone and clicked the shutter button, realizing her mistake as soon as she saw a blinding flash of light illuminate the couple in front of her. 

"Fuck!" she whispered under her breath. 

The two in front of her froze, Trenton recovering before Shae and rapidly scanning the area like a man possessed to find whoever had caught them in their private moment. 

"Fuck!" Waverly cursed again. She shoved her phone in her back pocket and took off, steering clear of the park's paved trail and instead running through the grass and sparse trees back the way she had come. She could hear heavy footsteps slapping the pavement behind her. _Trenton must be chasing me. _Waverly picked up her pace, the lights of Michigan Avenue soon coming into focus before her through the trees. As soon as she was free of the park, Trenton would be able to spot her more easily, but she couldn't risk stopping to try and hide. 

She broke free of the tree cover and darted across Michigan Avenue without hesitating to scan for cars. 

"Stop!" Waverly heard the shout behind her but didn't dare turn to look, not wanting to slow down or give Trenton the ability to see her face. She sprinted as hard as she could down Washington Street until she took a hard right up State Street, hoping to throw Trenton off her trail. She ran another block and was about to cross Benton Place when she was jolted off her path, a firm hand around her bicep pulling her into an alley and almost off her feet. 

Waverly's back hit a brick wall, a warm hand stifling the shout that rose to her throat. She struggled in her captor's grip, kicking her legs until she made contact with a hard shin. 

"Ow! Waves, stop! It's me!" 

Waverly stopped struggling and finally focused on the figure before her, her eyes finding deep brown and a flash of red hair that made her cease her movement. 

"I'm gonna let go of you, ok?" Nicole whispered. "We need to move." 

Waverly nodded and Nicole removed her hand from Waverly's mouth. 

"What are you doing here?" Waverly whisper-yelled at Nicole. 

"There's no time, let's go." Nicole grabbed Waverly's hand and led her through the alley, finally emerging onto Wabash Avenue and ducking into a small 24-hour diner that was practically empty. Nicole found a booth in the back corner and gestured for Waverly to slide onto one of the benches, taking a seat across from her once she did so. 

Waverly was still out of breath. She tried taking slow deep inhales to slow her heart rate. Nicole gestured at the only waitress on shift to bring them two waters. 

When she felt herself starting to relax, Waverly finally addressed the redhead across from her. "You want to explain what just happened back there?" 

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Which part is confusing to you? The part where I saved your ass?" 

Waverly scoffed. "I had it under control." 

"Clearly, judging by how fast you were running to get away from that madman who was chasing you," Nicole said with an eye roll. 

"He's old and slow, he wasn't going to catch me," Waverly said. 

"How did he end up chasing you in the first place?" Nicole asked. 

Waverly felt the flush of embarrassment burn her cheeks. "The camera flashed," she said quietly. 

Nicole did a perfect impersonation of the facepalm emoji that Waverly would've found hilarious in any other circumstance. 

"It was an accident!" Waverly tried defending herself, though she knew it was a lost cause. 

"That accident could've gotten you killed," Nicole said, her gaze piercing. 

Waverly sighed. "I know. But it didn't, not this time anyway. How did you find me, anyway?" she asked. 

"I just happened to be near the park, and when I heard Trenton yell and saw who he was yelling at I ran up a few blocks to head you off. I figured you'd turn north and head towards the water eventually. Lucky for you I was right," Nicole said. 

"Yeah, lucky," Waverly glared. "You scared the shit out of me, ya know?" 

Nicole shrugged. "Better me than Trenton I reckon." 

"You're such an ass," Waverly said. 

"Most people in your position would say thank you," Nicole suggested. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes but acquiesced. "Thank you," she said grudgingly. 

Nicole nodded. "You're welcome. Now do you wanna fill me in on what went down with Trenton tonight?" 

_Oh shit. Do I tell her about Shae? _

Waverly hesitated, and Nicole cocked her head. "Is that a no?" Nicole asked, looking a bit hurt by Waverly's unwillingness to confide in her. 

"I can't share just yet, I'm sorry, Nicole. I need to get a few answers and figure out what's going on here first," Waverly said. 

Nicole's surprise was plain as day on her face, as was the mask of feigned indifference she quickly replaced it with. She pulled a five dollar bill from her wallet, placing it on the table as she slid out of the booth. "Have it your way, Earp. See you around," Nicole said, her tone clipped. 

"Nicole, wait." Waverly turned in the booth as Nicole pushed her way out the front door, the bell chiming her departure with a quiet _ding_. 

_Well done, Earp,_ Waverly thought, putting her head in her hands and replaying the night's events over in her mind. 


	24. Shattered

Nicole scanned the room, sipping her champagne and taking in the crowd around her. She was only half listening to the story Shae was currently telling Chicago's mayor, a man named Claudius who was the city's youngest mayor in history at age 31. The mayoral residence was magnificent, Nicole couldn't deny that. The artwork in particular was stunning, which of course is why Nicole had let Shae drag her to this party in the first place. Shae got to shmooze, and Nicole got to scout out her next paycheck, it was a win-win. 

Nicole had spotted the piece she was looking for almost as soon as she and Shae had entered the house. It was featured on a wall next to the oversized fireplace in the great room, a heavily gilded golden frame surrounding the simple oil painting, the work highlighted by a dim sconce that shone overhead. The painting was called _Blotter, _a 1993 representational work by Peter Doig that Nicole would've recognized from a mile away. The Scottish-born painter was one of her personal favorites, and Nicole was sure Wynonna would be able to find a devoted collector to sell the work to in a matter of days. The trick would be getting it out of the mayor's home unnoticed.

Shae moved them around the crowd at her own pace, stopping to chat with almost everyone she passed. Nicole was impressed, Shae had managed to ingratiate herself into Chicago's high society in record time, and now that the couple had been in the city for almost two years, there were very few faces Nicole didn't recognize at these events. Speaking of which, a loud laugh drew Nicole's attention to the bar near the room's large cased opening, where none other than Marcus Trenton and his wife were surrounded by a few familiar faces. Nicole noted Darius Lang, one of the city's most notorious drug traffickers, who had garnered an invitation to this event thanks to a very large donation to Chicago's public schools. She doubted the mayor had any idea who Lang or Trenton were, as most politicians had very little to do with the guest lists for fundraisers such as these. If you had money, you had an in, and who had more money than the city's career criminals? Well, aside from the trust-fund babies like Shae, of course. 

Shae tugged on Nicole's arm to drag her to the next gaggle of people she wanted to make small talk with, and Nicole swiped another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She almost choked on her mouthful as she saw a woman with long brown hair and a floor length red dress sidle up to the bar a few feet away from the Trentons' party, leaning on her elbows to order a drink from the bartender. _Unbelievable, _Nicole thought.

She kept her gaze on Waverly's back as Shae droned on about her latest mission trip to Indonesia. The young musician Shae was speaking to looked like she had never even heard of the country before, and Nicole would have pitied her if she hadn't been wracking her brain on how to get Waverly out of here. On one hand, Waverly putting herself in the same room as Marcus Trenton was beyond foolish, but on another Nicole had work to do - work that would best be done without interference from a former federal agent. There was really only one thing to be done, and she was going to need one hell of a diversion...

....

Nicole kissed Shae on the cheek and broke away from the small circle of people she was now speaking to. Thanks to attending so many of these events, Nicole had gotten to know a few useful people of her own over the past year and a half, and she would need one of them in particular to help put her plan in motion. She found the man she was seeking in the house's library, just where she knew he'd be. 

"Michael, so good to see you!" Nicole entered the room and reached to shake the man's hand, a wide smile in place on her face. Michael Hart wrote for the current events section of the Chicago Sun, and he was one of the most disgusting people Nicole had ever met. He knew everybody in the city and had a love of celebrity gossip well beyond what most would consider seemly for an adult man, but he was just the person Nicole needed in this scenario. Luckily for Nicole, Michael also had a bit of a crush on her that was made increasingly obvious by the scarlet blush that took over the man's face whenever she addressed him, and she was hoping that crush plus his mutual love of good art would help her pull this off without a hitch. 

"Oh, why hello there Nicole, great to see you," he stammered, that signature blush spreading across his cheeks without fail. Michael pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose as he took in Nicole's outfit with undisguised appreciation. "You look lovely as always," he said with a slight bow, taking Nicole's offered hand and brushing her knuckles with a kiss. 

_Gross._ Nicole managed to avoid wiping the kiss off on her thigh, keeping her smile in place and smacking Michael's arm playfully. "Oh knock it off you old charmer," she said with a laugh, threading an arm through Michael's and pulling him towards the great room. "Come and join me for a drink." She gave the man no time to protest, not that he would've anyway, and the two walked arm-in-arm to rejoin the majority of the party's guests. 

Nicole led Michael to the middle of the bar, a few people separating them from where Waverly was still standing, observing Marcus Trenton from the corner of her eye. She hadn't even noticed Nicole walk by, she had been so enraptured with her target. _R__ookie mistake, Earp. _Nicole released Marcus' arm and took a seat at one of the stools, patting the one next to her. "Let me guess," she said, making a show of deciding what to order him. As though she hadn't memorized his drink the first time they'd met, just for occasions such as these. "7-and-7, am I right?" she asked. 

Michael raised his eyebrows and blushed an even deeper shade of red, nodding emphatically and looking pleased as punch that Nicole knew something personal about him. 

"Two 7-and-7's please," Nicole said to the bartender, with a wink at Marcus that might've given the poor man a heart attack. 

Luck was on her side tonight. The people next to Nicole stepped away from the bar, leaving a clear line of sight between where she was seated and where Waverly was standing. Nicole sipped her drink and made a show of scanning the room, catching her breath in fake surprise as her eyes landed on Waverly. 

"Oh my gosh, Jessica, is that you?" Nicole practically squealed, and startled hazel eyes met hers with confusion. "Jessica, I had no idea you would be here tonight, what are the odds?" Nicole rose from her stool and made her way over to Waverly, pulling her into a tight hug. "Follow my lead, Earp," Nicole whispered in her ear.

She stepped back and turned to face Michael, who was struggling to keep his eyes off the plunging neckline of Waverly's dress. _Not that I blame the man, _Nicole thought. 

"Michael, this is my friend Jessica," she said, introducing the two of them. "She's one of the city's best up and coming artists, and Wynonna Earp will be showcasing some of her work next month at The Homestead." 

Waverly's eyes went wide as she stared at Nicole, Michael shaking her hand eagerly and placing his signature sloppy kiss on her knuckles. 

"It's wonderful to meet you, Jessica. I would love to come see your exhibit when it's presented. What style of painting do you do?" Michael asked. 

Nicole stifled a smile behind her glass as she watched Waverly try to come up with an appropriate response. "Um, I mostly do contemporary pieces," she finally said, "although I dabble in charcoal and landscapes as well."

Michael looked appropriately confused but he hid it well, probably to avoid looking like an ass in front of a beautiful woman. "Well that sounds just wonderful, I'll be sure to visit The Homestead when the exhibit goes live. When is the debut?" he asked. 

"Oh, um it's not for a few weeks," Waverly said, "I believe sometime in late July or-"

"Michael, I've just had the best idea!" Nicole interrupted. She slung an arm around Waverly's waist. "You've got to get a photo of Jessica and I together for Page 6, and maybe you can drop a little blurb in there to promote her show! What do you say?" Nicole batted her lashes at him as he looked back and forth between the two women helplessly. 

"Well, yes I suppose I could do that," he said. "Let me just grab my camera. Should we meet in the study?" 

"Oh no," Nicole said. "How about just outside the opening here in the hall, maybe by that magnificent Warhol sculpture?" 

"Ah yes, excellent idea," Michael said. "I'll be right back." He turned to head back to the library to fetch his camera, and Nicole grabbed Waverly's hand and led her just beyond the great room's entrance to the hall. 

"What are you doing here?" Waverly whispered. "And who the hell is Jessica?" 

Nicole let go of her hand once they reached the sculpture. "Jessica is my dear friend and an up and coming young artist in the city, weren't you listening? And I could ask you the same thing - what are you doing stalking Trenton in a place like this?" Nicole hissed, looking around to make sure they weren't overheard. 

"I'm not stalking him, I'm working," Waverly replied. 

"Well so am I, but your _work _could not have come at a worse time. I need you to get out of here before Trenton realizes he's being tailed and you cause a scene," Nicole said. 

Waverly laughed humorlessly. "I'm sorry, you want me to leave so you can continue to shmooze with your rich criminal buddies without me cramping your style?" she asked. 

"No, I want you to leave before you create another incident that can put you in danger," Nicole said. "Please go before things get out of hand." 

Waverly narrowed her eyes. "I'm not leaving just because you say so, Nicole. I'm a grown woman, and I have a job to do," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Nicole sighed, knowing it was a lost cause once Waverly got into her defensive stance. Michael was walking towards them, cheesy grin in place and camera dangling from his hand. "Fine, let's just take the picture and get back to our work." 

"Ok ladies, get nice and close, that's it," Michael gestured for them to move closer, and Nicole slid an arm behind Waverly's back, the two of them standing right in front of the sculpture. 

Michael raised his camera, and Nicole turned her head to place a kiss on Waverly's cheek. She felt the woman flinch at her touch, and she moved her lips to Waverly's ear as the camera flashed. "Sorry about this, Waves." 

Nicole moved her arm behind Waverly's back and her elbow collided with the sculpture, knocking it from the podium it sat on and sending it clattering to the floor. The shattering sound echoed around the room, and Nicole saw hundreds of faces turn their way through the doorway of the great room. Waverly's mouth was hanging open in horror, and the mayor was on the move towards the sound of the crash, security on his heels. 

Nicole had no time to waste. She slipped down the hall in the chaos that followed, leaving Waverly to fend for herself as the crowd descended on the spot where the sculpture had stood. She knew there was another entrance to the great room, a small door on the wall with the fireplace that had been made to blend in with the wallpaper. She heard the distant ruckus surrounding the ruined art and hoped Waverly's instincts would be able to talk her out of the situation without much issue, but she had a job to do. 

Nicole cracked the small door and looked into the great room, the crowd having dissipated almost entirely to crowd the exit leading to the hallway. People were chattering animatedly, looking on in disbelief at the scene before them. Nicole could see Waverly gesturing with her hands, tears streaming down her face as she gave explanations to the mayor and his security team. She looked like an innocent young woman on the edge of hysterics. _Well done, Earp. _Nicole focused back on the task at hand.

The painting was just to her left, hanging between the door and the fireplace. She stepped through the door and removed the frame from the wall, slipping back through the door and pulling out a small blade from a strap at her thigh. She cut the paper backing from the frame, then pried the staples open to release the firmer backing holding the canvas in place. Nicole gingerly removed the canvas and rolled it around her upper thigh, slipping her knife strap over it to hold it in place. The dress she was wearing was not ideal for smuggling art, but she'd have to make do with the tight fabric. She slid the dress down over the painting as carefully as she could, making sure she didn't fold any of the edges as she slid the dress back into place. Just to be cheeky, she took the now empty frame and slipped it back on the wall in its original position, the gilded gold now framing a bit of embossed wallpaper rather than a priceless piece of art. 

She slipped back through the door and headed down a dark hallway, walking carefully to avoid disturbing the canvas around her leg. She reached an emergency exit and hastily descended a back staircase, emerging into an alley behind the residence. Nicole was only a few blocks from her apartment, so she decided to go there rather than risk walking further to Wynonna's gallery this time of night. She reached her building and waved to the doorman as she entered the lobby, pressing the button for her floor when she reached the elevator. She let herself into her apartment and locked the door behind her, turning on a small lamp in the living room and reaching to unzip her dress. She figured it'd be easiest to just remove the dress altogether rather than trying to work the canvas out from under it, so she slid the dress down her body as slowly as she could, peeling the fabric down her legs so as not to disturb the artwork beneath. Once freed, she removed her knife strap and carefully unrolled the canvas from around her leg, placing it on the coffee table as she went to her closet to find a case. 

She had just found a plastic tube to put the canvas in when a loud knock sounded at her door. "Shit," she said under her breath. She rushed to place the painting inside the tube, securing the lid with a snap and sliding the tube under the couch. Nicole tiptoed to the door and looked out the peep hole, eyes widening when she saw who her visitor was. "Double shit," she muttered before standing back and opening the door. 

Waverly stormed into the apartment like a hurricane, not even glancing at Nicole until she was a good 20 feet into the room. She turned on her heel and froze, whatever words she was about to say frozen on her tongue as she stared at Nicole. Waverly's eyes traveled over Nicole's body as though she'd never seen it before, which of course she had, although it had been a while. 

Nicole shifted her weight uncomfortably, feeling Waverly's gaze as though she was physically touching her. She was standing in the middle of her apartment wearing nothing but a matching black lace bra and panty set, and the woman she had once thought she'd loved was looking at her like she was deciding whether to kiss her or punch her. The whole thing was very unsettling.

Nicole crossed her arms over her chest to both cover at least part of her body while also preparing to defend against whatever tirade was about to be directed at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Earp?" 

Nicole's tone brought Waverly's attention back to her face, eyes narrowing dangerously as she found her words. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I was almost just in back there? A fucking _Warhol, _Nicole, seriously? Do you have any idea how much that sculpture costs?! You're damn lucky I was able to play the innocent drunken party girl and bat my lashes hard enough for the mayor to pity me and remember he had insurance, because I am not about to go to jail over some accident that you caused!" Waverly was practically shouting, although Nicole didn't blame her for being upset. 

"Please, Earp. If I thought you couldn't handle it, I never would've put you in that position," she said. "I needed a diversion, and you were the perfect person to help me pull it off, which you did splendidly I might add, so thank you." 

"You used me as a diversion so you could what, sneak out of the party because you were bored of the rich old people you were traipsing around with?" Waverly asked. 

Nicole laughed. "Of course not, although I do hate mingling with those same entitled geezers month after month. I told you I had work to do, I just needed a bit of luck and a bit of help, both of which you provided." Nicole looked at Waverly pointedly, as though the answer should be obvious to her. 

"You- Oh my god, you used me so you could _steal something_, are you fucking insane?!" Waverly really was yelling now, and Nicole took two long steps towards her to cover her mouth with her hand. 

"Can you please keep your voice down, for the love of god?" Nicole hissed. "Yes, I needed the crowd distracted so I could get what I came there for, and you were just in the right place at the right time. I'm sorry, but given how good you were at your performance I would do it again." 

Waverly glared over Nicole's hand, and she removed it and took a step back, palms out to show Waverly she didn't mean any harm. 

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the cops right now and tell them I know who stole a highly valuable piece of art from the mayor's residence tonight?" Waverly asked. 

Nicole sighed and turned her back on Waverly, walking to the kitchen and pulling a bottle of bourbon from a cabinet. She removed the stopper and took a swig straight from the bottle, wincing slightly as she swallowed. 

"You know I can't give you one, Earp. If you want to turn me in, nobody's stopping you. Hell, I expected you to do it the second you saw me at your sister's gallery a few weeks ago. I probably deserve it after what I put you through back in New York. And my work is still illegal, even if I've graduated to more high-profile crimes these days. You can turn me in right now and nobody would blame you, including me," Nicole finished with a shrug. 

Waverly rolled her eyes and stormed into the kitchen, facing Nicole across the kitchen island. "You think this pathetic fake guilt act is going to work on me, Haught? You know I can call your bluff right now," she said, reaching into her purse to pull out her cell phone and place it on the counter. 

Nicole felt a spark of anger at that, Waverly's implication that she was playing on her emotions hitting a raw nerve. "I told you nobody's stopping you, so go ahead and dial! Here, you want me to do it for you?" Nicole picked up Waverly's phone and dialed 9-1-1, showing the display to Waverly who was watching her with wide eyes. "You need me to hit send for you, or can you manage that one on your own, _Agent_?" 

"Give me the phone, Nicole," Waverly said, placing her hand out palm up. 

"What, having second thoughts already?" Nicole asked. "All you have to do is hit one little button and we can end this once and for all." 

"What is wrong with you?" Waverly asked, the frustration in her tone palpable. "Do you actually want me to turn you in? I don't understand you at all." 

Nicole sighed heavily and placed the phone on the counter, leaning on her elbows and dropping her head into her hands. 

"I'm just so tired of this, Waverly. I'm tired of all of it," she said, more to the counter top than the woman in front of her. 

"Hey." Nicole heard Waverly walk around the island, flinching slightly when she felt a warm hand on her bare back. "Nicole, look at me," Waverly said quietly. 

Nicole pushed off her elbows and straightened, meeting hazel eyes that were regarding her with concern. 

"What's going on with you? Is everything ok?" Waverly asked. 

"No, everything is not ok." Nicole ran a hand through her hair before continuing. "I'm tired of this lifestyle, tired of having to steal shit from other people for my livelihood. I'm tired of sneaking around in dark alleys and dealing with these smarmy rich idiots and always looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop." She met Waverly's eyes, which were brimming with so much pity it was infuriating. "And I'm tired of that look on your face, the one that says you pity me and this life I chose for myself. I was doing fine before you came here, and then one look from you and its like I'm back to two years ago trying to figure out the right thing to do, even though there is no right thing, no decision I make that doesn't get somebody hurt. I don't want to hurt people anymore, Waverly. I don't want to hurt _you_." 

Waverly was moving before Nicole could register what was happening. She felt a hand on her face, another at the back of her neck. Waverly's warm breath was on her face, her forehead pressed against Nicole's, their noses barely brushing as they breathed together. 

"Waves," Nicole whispered, closing her eyes against the feel of Waverly touching her, the closeness of their lips. She opened her eyes when Waverly pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze with those eyes that Nicole still had dreams about. Or maybe nightmares was more accurate. She glanced down at Waverly's lips, a question in her eyes as they each waited for the other to make the first move. 

"Honey, are you here?" 

The front door was thrown open, and Waverly stepped back from Nicole as if she had been electrocuted. Nicole saw Shae's eyes widen from across the room, and then the hard mask dropped into place like a shield. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Shae demanded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the angst my friends. You've been missed <3


	25. Chapter 25

Waverly stowed her camera in its case and pulled away from the curb in front of Trenton's office. He'd gotten another visit from Shae tonight, but this one seemed to be all business as she was in and out of his office building in less than 20 minutes. On her drive home, Waverly thought over everything she knew about Shae. Trust fund baby, rich as they come, connected to entrepreneurs and politicians and criminals alike. Hell, she was even dating a fugitive. There was no way she didn't know about Nicole's past, right? She was much too smart for that. _There's got to be an explanation for all of this, _she thought. _I need to call in a favor._

....

Waverly slid onto the empty bar stool next to her sister, and Rosita placed her usual on the bar with a wink before she even had to ask. She sipped her drink and smiled at Rosita in thanks. The woman was attractive, and in another life she was just sexy and flirty enough that Waverly might even be tempted to ask her out. Unfortunately, the only woman who took up residence in Waverly's mind these days was a 5'9" redhead who had a talent for illegal activities. _And a body that should be just as illegal, _Waverly thought, remembering her encounter with a nearly naked Nicole the night before. 

Wynonna elbowed her sister in lieu of a hug and tipped her glass to her in a silent cheers. "How are things, baby girl?" 

Waverly shrugged and finished off her drink in one gulp, slamming the empty glass down on the bar with a bit more force than necessary. 

Wynonna raised her eyebrows in alarm. "That good, huh? You and Haughstuff must've eaten the same soggy Wheaties this morning because she was in just about as good of a mood as you are." 

"Hm," Waverly grunted, not wanting to get into any discussions about Nicole with her sister. 

Rosita was back with a refill for Waverly, and she slipped the glass straight into her hand before swiping the empty from the bar. 

"You know Shae broke up with her last night?" Wynonna asked. "Good riddance if you ask me, but Nicole seemed pretty shaken up by the whole thing." 

Waverly felt for Nicole, but she wasn't exactly surprised to hear about their breakup, especially given the position Shae had caught them in last night. She thought of the night she had seen Shae kissing Marcus Trenton in the park and shook her head. "It's probably for the best anyway," she said. 

"What's for the best?" Nicole asked, popping up behind Wynonna and Waverly as silently as a ghost. 

Wynonna shot her sister a look, and Waverly gave a small shake of her head. 

"What's for the best?" Nicole repeated, looking between the sisters and clearly expecting an answer. 

"I was just filing Waverly in on what happened with Shae last night, that's all," Wynonna said, not meeting Nicole's eyes. 

Nicole seemed to process her words and put the pieces of their conversation together before addressing Waverly. "And Shae dumping me is for the best because...?" 

Waverly took a sip of her drink to stall. She still wasn't sure if she should tell Nicole about Shae's involvement with Trenton, because she had yet to figure out how the two of them fit together. Was it just a fling, or was Shae involved in some shady business dealings with the man? Waverly needed more information, and fast. 

She couldn't avoid Nicole's narrowed gaze forever. "I just meant that even though it sucks right now, it might be for the best in the long run, that's all," she said. 

"Bullshit," Nicole said. "You don't even know her, so what are you basing that conclusion off of?" 

Waverly sighed. "Can we not do this right now, please?" She sent Wynonna a pleading glance, but her sister remained mute while Nicole fumed. 

"Oh, I think right now is a great time to do this," Nicole said, her tone making it clear that she wasn't letting Waverly off the hook. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Waverly to respond.

"Fine, I think Shae is into some shady shit, so it's probably best for you that she ended things when she did," Waverly said. 

"What are you talking about?" Nicole asked, looking genuinely confused. 

"I saw her. With Marcus Trenton, a few nights ago when I was tailing him in the park. They were...together," Waverly explained. 

Waverly watched Nicole struggle to comprehend what she was implying. "When you say together you mean..."

Waverly nodded. "Yeah, they were there together, meeting up in secret in the park in the middle of the night." 

Wynonna looked at her sister in shock. "And you didn't think to tell either of us about this sooner?" she asked. 

"I was trying to figure out what was going on before I went off half cocked and riled you two up!" Waverly replied. "I still haven't figured out how they're connected and -" 

Waverly was interrupted by Nicole grabbing her hand and effectively pulling her off her stool. She marched them down the hall and pushed open the door to the first vacant restroom she found, flipping the lock behind them and turning on Waverly with her hands on her hips. 

Waverly cleared her throat. "We're back to the clandestine bathroom meetings I see," she said, trying to lighten the mood. Nicole's narrowed eyes informed her she'd failed miserably on that front. 

"You knew Shae was cheating on me, and with a _murderer _who you're currently investigating, and you didn't think it was necessary to inform me about any of this?" Nicole fumed. 

"Like I said, I didn't have all the information, and I just needed a few more days to figure out what was going on between them and if they were connected beyond some casual affair," Waverly began. "I was trying to protect you, Nicole." 

Nicole laughed harshly. "The last time you tried to _protect _me I ended up on Bobo Del Ray's hit list and barely made it out of New York with my life." 

"Hey, that's not fair, I was just trying to-"

"You were just trying to protect your own ass and the money that Trenton's wife is gonna pay you once you give her the juicy evidence on her sleazy husband," Nicole interrupted. "I think I had a right to know that my girlfriend was cheating on me, no matter who it was with or how it might've interfered with your work." 

"You didn't even like her!" Waverly shouted. She covered her mouth as she realized she'd just blurted the words she'd been thinking in her head out loud. "I'm sorry, that wasn't my place."

"You're damn right it wasn't," Nicole said quietly. "No matter what our reasons for being together were, Shae and I were still together, Waverly. The fact that you couldn't respect me enough to tell me what you knew is total bullshit. Hell, maybe you thought it served me right. Maybe you had a good laugh over it when you saw her with Trenton, is that it? Or did you just need a few more photos of them together to get top dollar from his wife?" 

"Of course not, I would never-"

"Save it," Nicole said, holding up a hand to stop Waverly's next words. "I would never keep something that personal from you, no matter what it cost me. I hope you sleep well tonight on that high horse of yours, Earp." 

Waverly watched Nicole unlock the door but couldn't find the words to keep her from leaving. She pulled the door open and was walking briskly down the hall before Waverly could even think to call after her. _And what would you say if you did? _She had fucked up royally, and she had no idea how to make things right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all of the comments, I seriously love all of you and hearing your thoughts on things as they develop is so fun for me. And thanks for jumping back on this crazy ride with me, even though I went on hiatus for a few months. I've got my endgame planned for this story - coming back to it with fresh eyes really helped me put the final pieces together. Hope you all will stick with me for the ending! (Still quite a few chapters to go, don't worry)


	26. Chapter 26

"Wy, we need to talk." Nicole found Wynonna hunched over a work table as she entered her office. 

"What's on your mind, Haughtshot?" Wynonna asked, not looking up from the piece she was currently studying under a bright overhead lamp. 

Nicole took a deep breath before blurting the words in a rush, "I don't think I can do this anymore." 

Wynonna looked up at that, confusion plain on her face. She switched off the overhead lamp and sat on her desk facing Nicole. 

"By 'this'," she began, using air quotes around the word, "do you mean living in the shadow of my greatness?" she asked with a smirk. 

Nicole laughed but shook her head. "No, Wy, I mean I can't stay in this business, I can't keep stealing art for you to sell on the black market anymore. I'm tired, and I'm done."

Wynonna sighed heavily and met Nicole's gaze with a serious one of her own for once. "I kind of knew this was coming," she admitted. "Can I ask why now, though?" 

Nicole shrugged and considered her answer. "Honestly, I'm just ready to get on with my life, you know? I have all the money I could ever need, and I'm done sneaking around rich people's houses and looking over my shoulder to see if today's the day I get picked up by some random cop or shot by somebody's security guard. I'm 29, I need to figure out what I actually want to do with the rest of my life. I hope you can understand that." 

Wynonna looked thoughtful but nodded slowly as she answered. "You know Haught, I knew this partnership couldn't last forever, but I wouldn't trade the time we had for anything. We make a hell of a team you and I, and I'll honestly miss your giant ginger ass when you leave Chicago." 

"You're not getting soft on me now are you, Earp?" Nicole asked with a grin. 

"Pfft, of course not. I'm just sad I won't have anyone to use all of my genius nicknames on anymore, but I'll find a new victim soon enough," she said with a wink. "Where do you think you'll go?" 

"I'm not sure yet, maybe somewhere warm for once," Nicole replied. 

"And Waverly?" Wynonna asked. 

Nicole's eyes snapped up at that. "What about her?" she asked. 

"You're just gonna walk away? Like New York all over again?" 

Nicole crossed her arms defensively. "It's not the same, Wynonna, I was trying to save both of our lives when I left New York. I cared too much, and it almost cost both of us. Now I know where we stand, Waverly doesn't give a shit about me anymore, she made that pretty clear given how she handled the Shae situation." 

Wynonna rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Don't you think that anger of yours is a bit misplaced? Shouldn't you be holding Shae responsible for her part in all of this? I know you think you understand why Waverly did what she did, but maybe she deserves a chance to explain herself." 

"Honestly, Wy, I don't know if I wanna go there with her again. There's too much history between us, you know?" 

"Oh, suck it up Haughtpants. You were a fucking enforcer for one of the most brutal drug dealers in New York City. I think you can handle a conversation with your ex girlfriend," Wynonna challenged. 

"She wasn't my girlfri-"

"Whatever, just put on your extra tall big girl pants and go talk to her, would you? She's at the apartment," Wynonna said. 

Nicole sighed, knowing Wynonna was right but not wanting to admit it. "Fine, I'll talk to her. I'm not leaving town right away or anything, so we can discuss how we want to wrap things up here before I go." 

"Deal," Wynonna said. "Now quit stalling." 

....

Nicole made her way up the stairs to Wynonna and Waverly's shared apartment. She knocked twice, knowing Wynonna kept a spare key above the door frame if Waverly didn't answer. After a few minutes of silence, Nicole found the key and opened the front door. The apartment was quiet, and there was no sign Waverly was there. _She must've gone out, _Nicole thought. 

She walked through the open living area and took note of the things scattered around the various tables. Photos mostly, various shots of Marcus Trenton meeting with different people around the city. Nicole stopped short when she saw a dark photo of Trenton and a woman up against a brick wall, clearly in a passionate embrace. _Shae. _Nicole resisted the urge to crumple the photo in her fist. Waverly had been right, it wasn't like Nicole had loved the woman. Hell, half the time she barely even liked spending time with her towards the end. Still, hearing the truth from Waverly's lips had been like a slap across the face, and it didn't make the fact of Waverly's keeping secrets from her any better. 

_Where is she? _Nicole pulled her phone from her back pocket and opened a new text message. 

NH: Hey, where are you? We should talk...

She perused the apartment and shifted through more of Waverly's papers. There was a stack of what looked like bank statements showing large balances in various accounts scattered across the U.S., as well as some overseas banks. Marcus Trenton's name was on most of the accounts, but there was another name on an account in the Cayman Islands that jumped out at Nicole. _Robert Svain. _"Oh, shit," Nicole cursed out loud. 

Nicole's phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling an incoming text. It was a photo attachment, and Nicole clicked the icon to download it. 

The photo showed a terrified looking Waverly Earp. And next to her, as if he was taking a selfie with an old friend, stood Bobo Del Ray. _Also known as Robert fucking Svain. _


	27. Chapter 27

Waverly could admit she had a healthy fear of Bobo Del Ray. The man was nuts, completely unpredictable, and she had zero clue about what he wanted with her or how he had nabbed her from her apartment so easily. The last thing she remembered was hearing a knock on the door, and after that everything had gone black. Bobo or whatever henchman he'd sent after her must have drugged her, that much was obvious. Now she was sitting in a ratty office chair in some abandoned warehouse watching Bobo throw knives at a stack of crates in the corner of the room, looking bored and as though he was waiting for something. Or someone.

Bobo had taken her phone and snapped a selfie of the two of them, but Waverly had no idea who he had sent the photo to. She prayed to god it wasn't Wynonna - she didn't want her sister anywhere near this psychopath. Surprisingly, Bobo hadn't even tied Waverly up, and she found that fact reassuring until he started playing with his knives. She assumed he meant to show her that she'd be a dead woman if she tried to run, which she certainly had no intention of doing after watching how good his aim with a blade was for the last half hour.

After some time, a stream of light spread across the floor of the warehouse as one of the dilapidated doors was thrown open. Waverly sagged in relief when she saw Nicole walk in, glancing around the warehouse to get her bearings as she entered. Nicole's eyes landed on Bobo almost immediately, and her mouth settled into a hard line. She didn't even glance in Waverly's direction.

Bobo stood to collect his knives as Nicole made her way over to him, making a show of inspecting each blade as he removed it from his wooden target.

"Didn't expect to be seeing you again anytime soon, Bobo," Nicole remarked, stopping a few feet shy of the man and folding her arms across her chest.

Bobo faced her with a grin, twirling one of the blades between his fingers. "Oh come now, Haught. Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Bobo asked, spreading his arms wide as though inviting her in for a hug.

_Fat chance, creep, _Waverly thought, watching their interaction carefully. Her jaw dropped open when Nicole smirked and stepped closer to give Bobo a hug. _Oh fuck me, of course she's working for him again. _A small seed of panic planted itself in Waverly's mind, not knowing how she was getting out of this mess if Nicole wasn't on her side in this. 

"So, what can I do for you?" Nicole asked. "What brings you to Chicago?" 

Bobo sighed. "Well, it seems that somebody has been digging into my financial affairs, and you know I can't afford to have my enemies looking into things of that nature without consequences," Bobo replied, glancing pointedly in Waverly's direction. 

"I don't think Waverly Earp is an enemy you need to be worried about anymore, Bobo. Isn't that right, Waverly?" Nicole met Waverly's eyes for the first time since entering the warehouse. Her gaze was steady, and Waverly tried to hold onto an ounce of hope that this situation wasn't going to go completely sideways on her. 

"That's right," Waverly said, clearing the scratchiness from her throat. "I'm basically retired now," she said to Bobo. 

The man laughed, his dyed blonde mohawk gleaming under the dim lights, the gold crowns on his teeth on display as he grinned. "Ms. Earp, if you were truly retired, why did I get a report of a young woman matching your description digging into my financial records?" 

Waverly's gaze remained on the knife twirling through his fingers as she answered. "I wasn't looking into your records," she began. "I was looking into Marcus Trenton. The only reason I came across your name was because there was a transfer of money into one of your accounts, a transfer that originated from Trenton. That's all, I swear." 

She saw Nicole's eyes widen in disbelief. Waverly knew she should have told Nicole about the connection she'd found between Trenton and Bobo as soon as she'd discovered it, but she had only found out a few hours ago herself. She still had no clue what the money was even for, or why a lawyer like Trenton would be paying a criminal like Bobo, instead of the other way around. It made no logical sense. 

"Trenton..." Bobo trailed off thoughtfully. "What a dolt that man is. I should have just had him killed and taken all of his money from the beginning," he muttered, almost to himself. 

"I'm sorry, what is Marcus Trenton paying you for?" Nicole asked Bobo. Waverly had the same question. 

Bobo's eyes twinkled as he answered. "He isn't aware that he _is_ paying me," Bobo said. 

_Huh? _ _What on earth is-_

"You're stealing from him," Nicole said slowly, looking thoughtful. "But how? And why him?" 

"Oh, c'mon Haught. You can't put the pieces together?" Bobo smirked and paused dramatically, giving his old protege a chance to think it over. "I chose him because he was close to you," he said. 

Nicole looked more confused than ever. "What do you mean? I don't even know the man," she said. 

"_You _may not, but your girlfriend does..." Bobo practically whispered. 

Nicole glanced at Waverly, then realization passed over her features in a wave. "Shae," she said. 

"Bingo!" Bobo yelled, clapping his hands gleefully. "Such a clever girl, that one." 

"You've been using her this whole time. She's worked for you from the beginning..." Nicole began to pace as the wheels turned faster in her head. 

"Yes, Haught, now you're getting it. Remember how you two met years ago?" Bobo asked, clearly enjoying his game of revelation. 

"You introduced us...Jesus Christ," she said, running a hand through already disheveled hair. 

_Well, at least Nicole isn't on Bobo's side, thank god. _

"You were my right hand, and I wanted you to be happy. But I also wanted somebody close to you who could take advantage of whatever other contacts you may have made while you worked for me, and Shae was the perfect woman for the job given her financial background," Bobo explained, looking pleased with himself.

"Did you tell her to get involved with Trenton?" Nicole asked. 

Waverly wondered whether or not it would make it easier for Nicole to process Shae's transgressions if it had been at Bobo's command. 

"No, that was all her idea actually," Bobo said. 

Nicole's face fell just slightly, though she covered it well. 

"She met him at a party, knew he was wealthy and had some less than admirable clientele, and she got close enough to him to get access to his banking information," Bobo said. "Once she had that, it was easy enough for her to start wiring me small percentages, nothing large enough to draw his attention of course." 

"I don't understand, what loyalty did Shae have to you? Why would she put herself at risk to steal from Trenton?" Nicole asked. 

Bobo looked thoughtful. "He was an easy mark, arrogant as he is. But I think it really came down to how much Shae loved you." Nicole looked surprised, and Bobo continued before she could interrupt. "I think in part, Shae felt obligated to me for introducing you two, and she never spoke of you with anything other than true admiration. Until recently that is..." Bobo finished. 

"You mean, when she broke up with me?" Nicole asked. 

"Yes, and why do you suppose she did that?" Bobo asked, looking again in Waverly's direction with a scowl. 

"It wasn't her fault," Nicole said. "All the blame for what happened between Shae and I lies with me." 

"Well, Haught, that may be true, but now I have a problem that I need fixed. Shae's loyalty to you, and by association me, is now gone, which means my cash flow from Trenton has come to an abrupt end. Your plaything, Ms. Earp, has now brought my name into whatever investigation she's running, and we're back where we started in New York with you two getting involved in my business and putting my livelihood at risk. What do you suppose I should do about that?" Bobo asked. 

Waverly's eyes were glued to Nicole, watching her mind work through the situation they were in. _Please have a plan, please have a plan..._

"Killing Waverly doesn't solve your problem, Bobo. Why bring her into this?" Nicole asked. 

"Oh, I'm not going to just kill _her_, Haught. I'll kill her first for meddling in my affairs again, and then I'll kill you for ruining the good thing I had going with Shae. Then I'll leave this godforsaken city and never look back." 

The blade kept twirling around Bobo's deft fingers, and Waverly suddenly felt sick to her stomach. 

"How much money do you want?" Nicole asked abruptly. "If I can get you what you want, will you leave us both alone?" 

_Yes, genius! _Waverly thought. 

Bobo looked thoughtful, now running the blade through his beard as though it was a comb. 

"$100 million," he said. "I want it in 48 hours." 

Waverly blanched. There was no way on earth Nicole could come up with that much money that fast. 

"Done," Nicole said, not even batting an eye.

Waverly knew better. Nicole's jaw was clenched so tight she could see the strain in her face from where she sat. _She's scared. _

Bobo raised his brows in surprise. "You wire me $100 million dollars in the next 48 hours, and I never see either of you again, Haught. That's a promise." 

Nicole reached a hand out to shake, sealing her fate and Waverly's the moment Bobo grasped her hand in his firm tattooed grip. 

"I'm taking Waverly with me," Nicole said. "If I fail, I trust you'll track us down with no problem, so I won't insult you by trying to run. You have my word." 

Bobo nodded and smiled wide, gold teeth gleaming. "Tick tock, ladies." 

"Let's go, Waves." Nicole was already heading towards the door, not sparing a glance at the madman over her shoulder. 

Waverly practically bolted from her chair, jogging to catch up with Nicole's longer strides. When they reached the exterior of the warehouse she finally voiced her question out loud. 

"Do we actually have a chance in hell of pulling this off?" Waverly asked. 

Nicole didn't turn around as she spoke. "I have no idea..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer to the end of this one, folks! 
> 
> I am also open to any ideas or requests you guys have for my next story, so hit me up in the comments if you have any ideas for stories you're dying to read.


End file.
